thick as thieves
by madetine
Summary: "She knew that those three little words would destroy them." In the aftermath of the Promised Day, Roy and Riza come to terms with their feelings for each other. Royai. Lots of angst.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Many thanks to my wonderful beta, pen 'n notebook! And thank you for clicking on my story, I hope that you like it! The title and song lyrics in the summary are from one of my favorite Natalie Merchant songs. Please let me know what you think!

* * *

The sun was bright and hot, just as Riza remembered it. And yet it chilled her to the bone. Who would be afraid of a beautiful sunny day? But with each passing minute, the sun climbed higher in the sky, the train chugged forward, and dread grew heavier in her chest.

"It's amazing how you can do that without even looking."

Riza drew her gaze away from the train window and focused on Jean Havoc, who was grinning at her. He had been sitting next to her since they started their trip very early that morning, and while his normally sunny disposition was slightly dampened by their looming destination, he had spent the last couple hours trying to put a smile on her face.

"What?" She realized that her hands had stilled and she looked down at her lap. On top of the open pages of a book (some mystery novel that had failed to capture her attention) lay the mechanics of one of her firearms. Clutched in her fingers was the grip and barrel of the gun. Had she been assembling it or disassembling it? She felt even more dismay. She was always so attentive when holding her weapons because she knew the destruction that they caused, and she hated that she had been so careless while she was lost in thought. "Oh. Just practice, I guess."

"I bet. You could probably do it in your sleep."

She hummed in affirmation, focusing now on reassembling the weapon. Her nimble fingers made quick work of the job and she tucked the gun back into her side holster. She picked up her book again.

Havoc continued, turning his attention to the dark haired man sitting across from them. "You ever perform alchemy in your sleep, Chief?"

Head down, Riza raised her gaze to regard the man sitting in front of her. He stared out the window, but he was quick to respond.

"It's been a long time since I've fallen asleep wearing my gloves."

In her mind's eye, she saw him next to her, fast asleep, covered in dust from head to toe. She laid on her belly, elbows resting on the windowsill, rifle clutched in her hands as she looked out across the desolation below. He came up to visit her sometimes when she was on guard duty and he was supposed to be sleeping. They talked idly for a few hours until he would slip into a restless slumber. She covered him with her dirty robe to shield him from the chilly desert night air. And his sandy gloves remained on his hands, curled into loose fists. She was glad to see his fingers relaxed, knowing the guilt that he felt about the destruction that they caused.

She didn't mind his visits at all. If anything, his presence soothed her anxious spirit. She was so young when she was sent to war, pulled from the academy while she was still wet behind the ears because she was singled out as a weapon for the military. And every single day she saw a cacophony of terror that was inflicted by her hands. But with him beside her, her hands felt steadier, her eyes were keener, and she didn't feel the pull of sleep. She felt like less of a killer and more of a protector. When the sun began to rise over the horizon, she allowed herself to look at him, and with one finger on the trigger of her rifle, she shook him awake with her free hand.

That was seven years ago, but the memories were so vivid that it seemed like a bad dream from which she had just awoken. And now they were headed back to that dreadful place.

Ishval. She could see the crumbling ruins in the distance now, inching closer and closer by the second.

Havoc, meanwhile, swiveled in his seat and started up a conversation with Breda on the other side of him. But Riza's eyes stayed on the Colonel. He was back to looking out the window, his mouth set into a firm line. There was a crease between his eyebrows. He would not admit it, but he was worried- and while he put up a confident front as always, she could read his face easily.

He was remembering too.

* * *

"This is the place," Falman announced. He gripped his suitcase in one hand and a worn, creased map in the other, which he held aloft. He led them to a building on the outskirts of town. It was a simple, two-story house that was dilapidated by the standards of a similar structure in most other towns. But in Ishval it was a rarity with walls that were intact and hardly touched by mortar shells, and the team was promised that there were oil lamps and running water.

They filed inside, all of them relieved to see a clean interior that was largely free from sand particles. It had a simple layout, just a sitting room and a small kitchen off the side of a large bedroom on the ground floor, and two bedrooms upstairs. The local authorities had made them aware ahead of time that there were three twin beds and a pull out couch in the large bedroom on the lower level, and a master bedroom with a smaller bedroom beside it. Havoc, Breda, Falman, and Fuery had drawn straws on the train ride over to determine who would be sleeping on the couch, but they still squabbled as they entered the downstairs bedroom, and there was a rustle as they claimed beds.

Riza turned to the Colonel, and he motioned to the stairs to show that she could go first. When they made their way to the upper level the floorboards creaked beneath their feet as they arrived in the hallway that lead to the two single bedrooms.

"You should take the master bedroom," he offered, turning to her.

She shook her head. "You're the C.O. It's only right that you take it." She peeked inside. It was much bigger than any bedroom that she had ever had. There was a large bed in the center- a king or queen, she couldn't tell- and a wooden chair by the window, which overlooked the town. "Besides, I've never slept in a bed that big before."

"All the more reason for you to take it." He moved behind her into the smaller room, and she heard a soft _thump_ as he cast his suitcase onto the bed. "Besides, don't you want to be first in line if there's danger in the hall?"

As always, he predicted her response. "Yes, sir." Striding into the room, she laid her small suitcase on a chair in the corner. She hadn't packed much, just the basics that she would need over the next two weeks that they would be staying in Ishval.

"It's oh-ten hundred," she called to him after a glance at her wrist watch. "What time do you want to convene?"

The walls were thin because she heard his voice very clearly. "We should give the men a chance to rest." She saw the logic; it had been a long train ride and they had all woken up early. Besides, they didn't have any meetings until tomorrow. "Maybe after lunch."

"Good idea."

"I'm not hungry yet. Do you want to go find something to eat in an hour?" His voice was closer now and she glanced back to see him standing in the doorway, his hand on the frame.

Riza nodded and moved towards the chair with her suitcase, unzipping it to pull out her bag of toiletries. She angled her body so that her back was to him, so that he could not see the package wrapped in brown paper that was tucked between neatly folded piles of civilian clothing. They had decided that given the Ishvallan's distrust of the State Military that it would be better to not wear their uniforms during their visit. "I'll meet you back here, sir. I want to go on a walk first." Her legs felt cramped from sitting in a crowded train car and she was keen to see how the town had progressed since they had last stayed there. From what she saw in their short trip from the train station, there were a lot of reconstruction projects that had captured her eye. Maybe seeing them would make her feel better about their stay, to witness the town thriving instead of being decimated.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him frown. "I don't think that's a good idea, Lieutenant. We should stick together until we know the area better."

"It'll be alright, sir. I won't go too far. And I can take care of myself." She cast him a wary smile, which he didn't return.

"Alright," he conceded after a moment. "But if you don't come back in an hour we'll come looking for you."

She nodded. "That's fair. Now can you please stop fretting over me?"

"Yes, ma'am," he returned. She looked up to see a grin playing across his lips before he gently closed the door. The smile on her face returned, this time in earnest as she heard his footsteps fading down the hall. The men didn't seem to pay her much notice as she left the house.

* * *

There were already a lot of Ishvalans that had moved back into the town, and as she walked the streets she marveled at the number of people bustling around. She made her way to the center of the town where she knew that the market place was. Stalls with brightly colored canvas awnings lined the streets and alleys. The some vendors noticed her immediately, and many tried to call her over to their stall, but she was mostly regarded with suspicious stares. She knew that she was an obvious outsider with her fair skin and golden hair.

"Amestrian!"

Riza looked over at the sound of the voice and found it coming from a dark booth. She could see a lone woman sitting inside, beckoning to her. Riza wasn't sure why, but she decided to look over.

"You are looking for something," the woman crooned, beckoning her closer still. She was sitting behind a round table.

"I haven't seen anything that I want to buy," the lieutenant answered.

The woman laughed and shook her head. "What you are looking for cannot be bought, young woman." When Riza stared at her blankly, she motioned to a chair. "Come, sit."

Riza ducked under the awning and took the seat. Beneath her feet laid a richly textured rug, and around the stall, crystals glistened in the dim light. "I didn't think that your faith allowed fortune telling."

"I only divine what is Ishvalla's vision," the old woman told her. "I illuminate the way to people who are searching for his light."

Riza shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I'm not a believer."

"It doesn't matter. Ishvalla has given me this gift so that I might help those who need it. Would you like to know more?"

She hesitated. She certainly didn't think that she needed help, but she was interested to learn more about the culture. All of her previous experiences in Ishval had been about destroying the people who lived there, and now was the time to nurture them. "How much does it cost?"

The old woman laughed. "For heretics, it is free. You may draw one card for you to show you your fate."

Riza pursed her lips together but nodded. "Alright."

The woman produced a worn stack of cards, and Riza watched as she shuffled them between her weathered hands. After a minute, she stopped and set down the stack before fanning it out on the table between them. "Choose a card. It is yours."

After a pause, Riza picked one of the cards and turned it over. On the face there was a man and a woman, naked and holding hands. There was Ishvallan lettering at the bottom that she could not decipher. "What does it mean?"

"Ah," the woman chuckled, her red eyes glinting. "It is very interesting that you draw this card. It is very powerful. It means a union of duality. It signifies a force that binds two entities together to create wholeness. But it is not absolute- a choice must be made. You must decide what path on which to embark to become whole."

Skeptically, Riza stared at the card. "How I am supposed to know what path to take?"

"Ishvalla gives us the materials to find what we seek. He will show you the way. But you must first open your eyes to what is inside of you."

Riza swallowed. "The writing here, at the bottom… what does it mean?"

The woman smiled, showing rows of teeth yellowed by age. "It is the name of the card. It is called _The Lovers_."


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thank you very much for the favorites and follows! They really mean a lot to me. And thank you to my wonderful beta, pen n' notebook. I hope that you all like this chapter; if you do, please leave a review! Also, I wanted to note that descriptions of the tarot card in the previous chapter are from my personal deck, Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot Deck, made by Matt Hughes. It's available on Amazon and if you're looking for a deck I highly recommend it because it's gorgeous. Just remember that it's bad luck to buy a tarot deck for yourself, so get someone else to buy it for you!

* * *

As soon as Riza stepped over the threshold of the rented house, she was greeted with the worried gaze of five sets of eyes. With a straight face, she stared back at them and shut the door behind her.

Roy spoke first. He strode over to her, eyes roaming up and down her body for any signs of distress. "Where were you? We were just going to go out and look for you!"

Impassively, Riza humored him by letting him examine her with his gaze. "As you can see, sir, I am perfectly fine." She glanced at the time piece on her wrist. "I was only gone for forty-five minutes or so."

"It's been over an hour, Lieutenant. Let me see your watch."

Stony but somewhat amused, she unstrapped her timepiece and handed it to him, watching as he fiddled with it and pulled out his own watch for comparison.

"Well, we're hungry," Havoc declared, breaking the moment of silence. "Can we go out and look for something to eat?"

"I passed a cafe on my way back," Riza offered. "It didn't look like much but it smelled good."

Roy snapped his pocket watch closed and tucked it in his jacket before passing Riza's watch back to her, which she slipped back on her wrist after checking the face. It had indeed been off time and he had set it back to be matched with his. She didn't know how that had happened because they kept their timepieces perfectly synchronized. But then, it was an old watch. The leather strap was well worn, and even after he re-set it the hands ticked in place instead of moving forward. "Let's go then," he announced. "Lunch is on the State Military."

The men cheered and passed the two superior officers. Riza followed them, glancing at the Colonel. "You know that this means one more expense report for you to write."

He groaned. "Don't be so pessimistic, Hawkeye." Riza just shook her head but she almost stopped in her tracks when she felt Roy's hand on the small of her back, guiding her out the door. She looked back at him, expecting to see a smirk directed her way, but his face was innocuous. She realized that the motion was so natural to him that he hadn't realized that he had done it. It wasn't like them at all; their interactions with each other were normally so conscientious. The influence of the desert town pulled at his thoughts as well. They would have to be even more careful than they normally were. He paused to lock the door behind them, then turned to her, raising his eyebrows as he realized that she had been watching him. But he didn't acknowledge her heedful gaze.

"Lead the way, Lieutenant."

* * *

The day passed into evening. Riza willingly allowed herself to be cajoled into playing several rounds of poker with the unit to help pass the time, as they had nothing better to do anyway. Meetings with local community leaders started the next day, and the men were restless. They lamented that there was no alcohol to be found in town, due to the Ishvallan's strict views on temperance. Fortunately, Sergeant Fuery had the wherewithal to pack a bag of poker chips in his suitcase. After many rounds, Riza and Lieutenant Breda sat with the most chips in front of them. Breda was a brilliant strategist with a keen mind, but Riza's poker face was simply unbeatable, and after counting their piles of chips he conceded victory to her. By that time the sun hung low in the sky. They decided to call it a night, and retreated to their rooms.

In her room, Riza stripped off her clothes and changed into a crisp pair of striped pajamas. She let her hair down from the clip she had been wearing, shaking out the crimps with her fingertips. Regretfully, she realized that she had forgotten to pack slippers, and in the chill of the night air her bare feet were cold on the wooden floor. From her suitcase she retrieved the package that she had carefully hidden from the colonel's eyes earlier in the day. With the brown paper wrapping crinkling in her hand, she left her bedroom to knock on the door next to hers.

"Who is it?" The deep voice asked on the other side of the door.

"It's me," she answered. "Can I come in?"

"Yes, I'm decent," came the reply. She opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her. He had also changed into pajamas, expect his were blue, and his black eyes looked down at her quizzically. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"

Riza held out the package to him. "Happy birthday, sir."

He frowned in confusion but took it from her. "It's not..." His words faltered as realization dawned on his face. "Damn, it is my birthday." He looked up at her with widened eyes. "You remembered."

A faint smile curved the corners of her lips, just a little bit to show that she was sincere but teasing him, and she nodded in affirmation. "It's a big one this year."

Roy unwrapped the package slowly, letting the paper fall to the ground. She watched as he marveled at the bottle in his hands. "You got me whiskey."

"Yes, sir. Thirty years old, just like you."

"Thank you." He grinned at her at her and she felt a familiar tug of affection in her chest. Sitting back down on the slim bed, he pulled at the exposed cork stopper until it unplugged the opening with an audible pop. "Have a drink with me, Hawkeye."

She hesitated, but after a moment decided that it would be okay to take a seat beside him. "I don't have any glasses," she admitted.

"I don't mind sharing if you don't." He smirked at her and after she nodded her consent, he took a swig from the bottle and passed it to her. "You know that Daliha is a dry town, Lieutenant."

"I am aware, sir, but I trust your discretion on that issue. Unless you are willing to write me up for it." While he chuckled Riza took a drink and quickly cringed at the burn in the back of her throat, choking back a cough. She handled the bottle back to him and watched as his adam's apple bobbed when he took a gulp of the fiery liquid.

"You know this brings me back to the first time I had whiskey." When she raised an eyebrow, he continued. "It was your first time as well, if I am not mistaken."

"You mean when we picked the lock on my father's liquor cabinet?" She smiled at the memory and took another mouthful from the bottle. The burn was not as prominent this time, and she was able to savor the smoky flavor. "Let's see… I was fourteen, so you must have been seventeen."

"That sounds about right. Madame allowed me to have a little wine and beer before, but that was my first time drinking liquor." He took the bottle from her and consumed another gulp before handing it back to her. "I think that was also the first time I made you laugh."

"Yes, because you told me that awful dirty joke. '_What does a leper say after having sex with a prostitute?_'" She took another drink, longer this time.

"'_Keep the tip_'", he answered, laughing boisterously. Feeling the buzz of the liquor, Riza snickered as well, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle the noise. "Alice told me that one." She recognized the name as one of his sisters' from his childhood.

"It's disgusting. And don't be so loud," she chastised, although there was a smile on her lips. "You'll wake up the men."

"I think those are the exact words you said to me, except you were talking about your father." When he collected the bottle from her again, he slipped a little closer to her side, resting one hand on the mattress behind her. "Do you think he ever found out?"

She shook her head, the memories of her strict upbringing coming to her mind. "He would have said something to me if he did." Roy passed the bottle to her and she accepted it. "Are you going to make a birthday wish?"

"Don't you have blow out candles on a cake to do that?" He waited for her to take a gulp before he took the bottle back.

Riza shrugged. "A cake would have gotten smashed in my suitcase. Also, I am much better at making pies."

"Your pies are remarkably good," he admitted. "How come you never make them anymore?"

"I live alone, Colonel," she reminded him. "I don't have anyone to share them with."

"That is true." He tilted his head to the side pensively "You could bring them into the office. I let you bring your dog into the office, you could at the very least bring in a pie. It would be good for morale."

Without realizing it, she mirrored his actions as she considered his proposal. "I suppose that would work."

They passed the bottle back and forth again, taking drinks before he spoke. "So, about my birthday wish..." He made a big show of tapping his chin thoughtfully and she rolled her eyes. While normally more indulgent of his playful antics, the alcohol in her system was making her feel a little more… exaggerated. "I've decided what I want."

"What's that, sir?"

He grinned, deliberately making her wait a moment in silence for dramatic effect. "I want a kiss," he announced, keeping his voice low.

Riza snorted. "You might have to put in more effort than you normally do, sir, but I'm sure that with your particular talents you could find a pretty young woman to woo."

He chuckled and leaned over to set the bottle on the floor, watching her the whole time. "No, Lieutenant, I want a kiss from you."

With the whiskey in her system it took her a moment to process what he had said, and her mouth fell open in shock. It wasn't that she had never considered what he proposed. Not at all. In fact, she thought about sharing a kiss with him more often than she cared to admit, even to herself. Every time he looked at her with his dark, smoldering gaze she couldn't help but imagine how his mouth would feel against hers. She knew that he felt the same way- she saw how he would watch the movement of her lips when they stood close together. But she never thought that he would be so direct about it; after all, even a simple kiss could leave to them both being court martialed. They both knew better than to indulge in something so dangerous.

"I know what you're going to say," he said quickly, holding up his hands to pacify her. He swayed a bit and she realized that he was drunk too. He had to be to say something so absurd, a weak voice in her head rationalized. Her eyes flickered to the large scars on his palms before they returned to his face. "But no one will know."

_They would know_, she thought. And they would have to live with it for the rest of their lives and fight the temptation to ever do it again. It would open the door to all sorts of behavior that they fought to indulge in with every interaction that they shared. It was a horrible, awful, terrible idea, and she nearly opened her mouth to tell him so. But her head swam with the liquor's influence, and she found herself reconsidering. The heady, dizzy feeling dampened her good sense. The image of a man and woman flit through her mind. They were as naked as their feelings and standing against the background of a lush paradise. They were free.

Riza wanted to be free.

For all of his bravado, she could tell that he was surprised as she turned her body towards him and gently placed her hand on his knee. He took a shaky breath as she angled her mouth towards his until their lips were just barely apart. With her eyes closed, she felt his hand glide up her arm and shoulder to cup her throat... right over her recently healed stitches.

Instantly, her eyes snapped open as she winced in pain and pulled away. What the hell had she been thinking? No longer lost in the moment, she felt mortified, like a bucket of ice water had been poured over her. Her blood pounded in her head as she rose to her feet. He quickly grasped for her hand, but his fingers slipped through hers.

"I.. I'm sorry, sir," her voice faltered. His expression was pained and she couldn't look at him, instead focusing on the middle distance to the left of his ear. "I made a mistake."

"Wait, Riz- Lieutenant-" he struggled to get the words out. "Don't go-"

But she was already striding out the door. As she quickly entered the safety of her bedroom, she heard him curse on the other side of the wall.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: As a note, the dirty joke in the previous chapter is by shittyshittymorph from the Reddit thread on r/AskReddit: "What's your favorite dirty joke?" I can't take credit for it; I just thought that it was funny. Thank you to my amazing beta, pen n' notebook, and thank you for the reviews and favorites/follows! They really drive me to keep going. I hope that you like this chapter too!

* * *

_It always starts the same, with a bright flash of yellow and red. Fear grips him as the blaze swirls unbidden from his fingertips and billows into an inferno that fades into brown-gray smoke. The sight is accompanied by the smell that haunts him- char, iron, sulphur- and the cloyingly sweet undertone of death. The fire doesn't reach far, because it has enveloped someone close to him, someone who is always by his side. As always he is physically unscathed; the fire never comes closer than the length of his arm. But while his body is unharmed, he feels like half of his soul is burning alive in the flames that he has created. And the smoke blankets everything, drawing him in into the void..._

A shout sounded in Roy's ears and he awoke with a start, sitting up in bed. He gasped for breath, pulling air into his lungs so fast that it made his head swim. The shout, he realized, had been his own. It rang through the small room and he clutched at his sweaty forehead.

Not five seconds later the door swung open and footsteps pounded across the floor, leading to his bed. In the pitch dark room he could make out the figure of a woman.

"Colonel!" Riza exclaimed breathlessly, crouching by the bed at his side. "What is it? What's wrong?"

He shook his head from side to side, trying to orient himself. "It's nothing… just night terrors."

There was a clang of metal against wood as she set her gun down on the floor. She groped for the lamp on the night stand and flicked it on, bringing light into the small room. It swirled around them and when his stomach lurched he realized that he was still drunk. Raising his head, he saw that her brown eyes were large and filled with concern.

Suddenly the memory of their almost kiss came flooding back and he felt a rush of shame. After what he had put her through, she still held fast to her protective duties, never questioning her purpose. After all of their years together, he still marveled at her strong devotion to him. Now, more than ever, he felt like he didn't deserve it. "I'm sorry to wake you," he added, feeling foolish.

"It's alright," she soothed, laying gentle hands on his arm and upper back. Her voice was soft to his ears and he found himself relaxing.

Nodding, he felt his breathing slow to a normal pace and he focused on the swirling patterns on the blanket covering his legs and feet. "Thank you."

"It's nothing, sir."

It wasn't nothing. Not to him at least. Turning his gaze towards her, he studied her face, which was half illuminated by the lamp. Her hair was tousled from sleep and he fought the urge to smooth it out with his hands. Her eyes met his steadily and he drew from her endless strength. She had to know how much he needed her in every way.

"Will you be alright if I leave?" She asked, pulling him from his introspection.

_No_, was the first thought in his mind. Her presence was so comforting and he wanted the moment to last longer. But he didn't want her to worry about him. He worried her enough already.

"Yes, I'm alright," he told her finally. "You can go back to bed."

"Okay." She lifted her hands from his body and then picked her gun off the floor and rose to her feet. "If you need anything… just call for me. You don't have to be loud. I'll hear you."

It didn't surprise him to hear that she was a light sleeper, because he was as well. He used to be able to sleep more deeply. When he was living in her father's house, or in his bedroom at Madame's, he struggled to wake up in the morning. He remembered one particular incident where, after knocking on his door and shouting intermittently for a half hour, Riza barged her way in and shook him by his shoulders until he woke up. While he was rubbing the sleep from his eyes and asking her what the big deal was (wasn't he allowed to sleep in every once and awhile?) she admitted with a forlorn look and downcast eyes that she had found her mother in the same condition a few years ago. Except her mother had not awoken from her sleep. That was the first time he silently vowed to never make her worry about him again.

But being at war had changed his sleeping habits. While fighting he had to train his body to be alert at all times. Now the smallest noise woke him; be it a quiet footstep, the voices of strangers walking by his home late at night, or the creaking, groaning, and settling of his house when it was pitch dark. Rest never came easily, and when morning finally came he was still bone tired. Sitting in his warm office at his desk all day made him drowsy but when he finally came home and laid down in his bed, it took him hours to fall asleep. And when sleep did come, violent nightmares woke him up, leaving him too shaken up to rest again.

After she left, he stayed awake for awhile, staring at the ceiling in the dark. The buzz of alcohol still lingering in his system finally lulled him back to sleep.

A knock on the door woke Roy the next morning, and he sat up in bed quickly. Immediately he regretted the action, as his head began to throb from pain. His entire body ached. That's when he remembered the amount of alcohol he had consumed the night before.

Laboriously, he rose from the bed and made his way to the door, fighting a groan. While he had experienced many hangovers in his life, from drinking even more liquor, this was worse. His mind was stuck on those few seconds where time stood still because his lips had almost kissed Riza- no, his loyal first lieutenant, he had to remember that. He wondered how he could ever look her in the eye again, or if she would ever forgive him.

He opened the door and sucked in a breath. She was standing there in front of him. His gaze searched her face for any signs of anger or hostility but he found nothing. Her expression was as impassive as always, but he could always read her eyes, and he could tell that she was hurting.

"Are you okay?" he asked instantly, forgetting his aching head for a minute while he looked at her with concern.

"I'm fine." Her voice dropped and he realized that she was trying to be quiet so that the men downstairs didn't hear her. He could hear them bustling around in the kitchen right below them as they ate breakfast. "Just hung over." She held out her hands to him and he saw that she was holding a glass of water and a couple of round white pills. "I figured you would be too. Take these."

"Thank you." He scooped the pills from her outstretched hand and swallowed them, chasing them with a gulp of water. She watched him intently.

Was she mad at him? The question burned in his mind. "Lieutenant," he began quietly, "about last night..."

"Nothing happened." Her voice was crisp. "Therefore, there is nothing to discuss."

"Right." So she was mad, but not at him. She was mad at herself. Given her high morals and reserved nobility, he should have figured as much,. She had taken his flirtation as a product of the alcohol, and she was upset that she had almost given in. And she was telling him to just forget about the whole thing.

But he couldn't do that. Every moment that she opened up to him, he treasured. He wanted her to trust him enough for her to relinquish a small amount of self-control.

For her sake, though, he would quell those thoughts. And he would never bring it up again.

"I told the men that you would be ready in about an hour," she said, oblivious to his inner thoughts. "I figured that you would need time to get ready, in case you wanted to rest longer."

He waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need for that. I just need to shower, shave, and get dressed."

"Alright. If you're sure."

After he nodded in consent she turned and walked down the hall. He grabbed a towel and walked into the bathroom to shower.

* * *

It was late morning when they set out to the rendezvous point where Riza and the colonel would be meeting Scar. The sun wasn't at its full strength yet, but it was already burning every exposed inch of Riza's fair skin, and the bright light strained her tender, hung-over eyes. Glad that she had grown her hair long, she tugged at the strands and arranged them so that they covered the back of her neck to shield her flesh from the strong rays.

She followed Roy through town. The Ishvalans working on rebuilding the decayed buildings stopped their construction as the pair of them as they passed, glaring at them with red eyes. Riza's guilt burned as bright as the sun above them. The ire that the Ishvalans had for her and the man that she followed was justified. She deserved their disdain, after the way that she decimated their loved ones, and she knew that her superior officer felt the same.

Her gaze scanned the crowds of people. The last time that she was in Ishval, she had regarded them mostly through the scope of her rifle. Now she studied their tan faces up close and individually. The hate that she saw in their eyes fueled her desire to right the wrongs that they committed. The only way that she could atone for her sins was to face them fully.

They reached their destination. In the pavilion in front of them stretched a small table. Scar sat at one end. He raised his level gaze to meet them. "Greetings. How was your journey?"

"It was fine, thank you." Roy took the seat across from him, with Riza sitting down at his side. "And thank you for meeting with us."

"I will do what is best for Ishval," The older man intoned, locking eyes with Roy. "Although I do not like you, alchemist, I will aide you in your quest to rehabilitate my homeland."

Roy nodded. Riza registered that he was perturbed by the way that his back straightened and the crease reappeared between his eyebrows. They were actions that were almost imperceptible, but to her they said everything. While her posture was always perfect, she deliberately shifted in her seat to let her shoulder brush against his upper arm. He didn't look at her but his expression relaxed.

"Thank you," he told the Ishvalan, although Riza knew that it was partially directed at her.

Scar continued, and if he was cognizant of the careful intricacies of the two officers' body language, he said nothing. "You and your military destroyed our land. But I see that you have genuine interest in righting the wrongs that you committed. I hear the country of Armestis has not fully supported the decision that you made to help us. But I and my people thank you for what you are doing. You have made the right choice."

The two men started talking about the government's investment of crops in the region, and Riza slipped into her usual role of adjutant by taking notes with the materials that she carried. She dutifully paid attention to the conversation, but her thoughts circled back to one work that Scar spoke: choice.

"_But it is not absolute- a choice must be made. You must decide what path on which to embark to become whole"._

She pondered the statement. She didn't understand the point of "becoming whole", because she didn't understand what was wrong with her in the first place. Riza certainly didn't think that she was perfect, but she worked her to achieve the rank that she enjoyed now. She tried to think of what was missing from her life. She had few friends, but the ones that she did have, she loved dearly. Her job was hard- to put it lightly- but she found it fulfilling, because she knew that she was working towards a greater good. What else did she need?

And the old woman had said that she had to "_open her eyes to what was inside her_". Riza wasn't sure what that meant. While her life had been far from ideal, she refused to let herself be mired by introspection. From what she had experienced, people who thought about themselves too much tended to get weighed down by their own emotions, and she couldn't afford to do that. Not when there was so much at stake. There were simply too many people who depended on her.

She remembered one thing that King Bradley had told her when she was his adjutant. Facing out the window and looking into the rain, he recounted how the only choice that he had truly made in his life had been his wife. With a sinking stomach, Riza realized what he was implying. She made all of the decisions that lead her to the point in her life where she was, but what she really wanted was the one thing that she couldn't have- the person that she wanted most.

Her stomach twisted. She had friends, rank, and the position to rebuild Ishval, but she wasn't happy. And the notion of that- the realization that, despite her achievements and accomplishments, she was a mere slave to her desire- stirred something inside her that she rarely experienced.

Fear.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thank you to my wonderful beta, pen n' notebook, and for the reviews, favorites, and follows! If you like this story, please review. It really fuels me to keep going.

* * *

The next night, Roy lay in bed, watching the stars in the sky outside his window, when he heard a shriek. He recognized the woman's voice immediately. Ripping the sheets from his bed, he rushed into the next room.

He found Riza writhing in bed, crying out in her sleep. While her eyes were closed, her face was drawn in horror as she tangled in the blankets. The sight wrenched at him and he climbed over the bed to shake her awake. "Lieutenant," he called to her. "Hawkeye, wake up."

Emitting a moan, she finally opened her eyes. He could see that her dilated pupils fought to focus on him. He wanted to draw her to his chest and hold her, but he refrained from doing so. Instead he settled on his knees as she sat up and tried to wipe the sweat from her brow, brushing her bangs back from her pale face. Tentatively, he rested one hand between her shoulder blades.

"So you get them too," he stated softly, watching her nod.

They never talked about the war after they left Ishval. He had never brought it up because he thought that she didn't want to relive any of the memories, but now he wondered if she had extended the same consideration for him. The atrocities they committed weighed heavily on their shoulders, and they had both tried to protect the other by not discussing it.

The floorboards creaked outside the room in the hall and they both looked up, spines straightening, to see Falman standing in the hallway. "I was up reading and I heard a scream. Is everything alright?" He looked between the two of them, worried, and Roy wondered how it looked for him to see his commanding officer sitting on a bed beside his female subordinate.

"It's fine, Falman. The lieutenant just had a nightmare." Roy looked down at her and she nodded before he continued. "You can go back to bed. We're alright up here."

"Okay. Goodnight, sirs." The other man didn't look convinced but he left them, and Roy waited until he heard the door close downstairs before he spoke again.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," she told him, but he could hear the tremor in her voice. "Like you said, it was just a nightmare."

"Was it about the war?" He didn't want to pry, but he was concerned. He wanted to help her. She nodded silently and he sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that you had night terrors too."

"I didn't want to burden you with it," she said, confirming his earlier thoughts. "I know that you have your own demons."

"It's not a burden. Not at all." That she could think such a thing was was ludicrous to him. "There shouldn't be any secrets between us." He watched her and she finally looked up at him, meeting his gaze. The color returned to her face, he saw with relief.

"I trust you," she whispered fiercely. "Don't ever doubt that."

Something stirred in his chest and he swallowed it down. He remembered the night before, and how her presence soothed him. Just being near her was comforting. While he spent much of the morning hung over, it was her nearness that gave him solace when they were talking to Scar. He needed her nearby to embolden him. "I was thinking… can I stay in here for awhile, with you?"

He anticipated her reaction, and sure enough, her face set into a firm expression. "Sir, you know that would be inappropriate. It's night and you should be in your own room." He knew that she was thinking about the kiss that they almost shared and how big of a mistake it was in her eyes.

"We wouldn't be breaking any rules. The laws are that a commanding officer and a subordinate can't have any sexual or romantic relationships. This would be strictly platonic. We don't even have to touch each other." Her countenance remained skeptical and he pushed forward. "Look, Hawkeye… being back here is difficult, and when I'm with you, I'm at ease. I feel reassured, because I know that you're going to protect me."

Riza cast her eyes down to she sheets over her lap. He knew that she was conflicted by the way that her brow furrowed. He saw the indent of her cheek as she bit the inside of her mouth as she thought. It was such a small tell, and to anyone else it would be completely insignificant, but it was a break from her usual completely undemonstrative expression. It was clear to him that she wanted to him to stay, but she worried about his proximity. The almost kiss loomed in her thoughts. For a moment he expected her to tell him to leave, and he braced himself for her rejection, but when she looked up at him her eyes were soft. Scooting over to give him space, she watched him expectantly. He smiled gently and slipped onto the bed, sitting about two feet away from her. The mattress dipped under his weight. "No one can know," she reminded him sternly.

He raised his hands to show his honesty. "No one will know. I just want to sit with you for awhile, that's all."

"Alright." She settled into the bed on her back. The moon was full outside her window and it illuminated her face and creamy skin. Roy gazed at her, studying the sweep of her golden hair against her pillow, and the way her her thick, dark eyelashes graced her cheekbones when she blinked. She turned her face towards him and captured his gaze, and he realized that he was caught. "What is it, sir?"

"Don't you ever get tired of saying that?" Hoping that his tone was so smooth that she wouldn't notice that he had changed the subject, he waved one hand expressively. "'Yes sir, no sir'?" When he was her father's apprentice she would call him by his given name, but that was a long time ago. It changed when they met up at Ishval during the war. From then on she always addressed him with an honorific. He figured that he would never hear his name on her lips again.

"No, sir," she responded automatically, and he chuckled.

"No, I don't suppose that you do. You're always the perfect soldier, even when you have a gun to my head."

Her expression was as unflappable again. "Those are my orders, sir."

"Yes, I know." Of course he knew. A moment of silence passed between them before he spoke again. "I have been thinking about what Scar said today… about making the right choices."

His statement caught her attention and she flipped onto her side, facing him. "What do you mean?"

Roy looked away from her and her curious expression. He knew that she wouldn't like his next question, and he didn't want to see the light in her eyes dim. "Do you think that your life would be better if we had never met?"

"No," She asserted. He didn't need to see her to know that she was frowning. He could hear it in her voice. "Why, do you?"

"Yes," he admitted. "All the time."

He still remembered it clearly- the day that he left her to join the military. She stood on the porch of her family home wearing her school uniform that she had grown out of and a somber expression, although she tried to smile for his benefit. He wanted to tell her then- how he felt about her. She knew, of course. He figured that she knew what was in his heart as long as he did, because their hearts were the same. But maybe if he voiced the actual words then, things would have been different. If she would have just stayed there, in her hometown, in that old house, he would have come back for her; and they would have been happy together.

Instead she followed him into the military and into the war, and that beautiful idea of a life had slipped from their grasp. Now, because of the atrocities committed at their hands, happiness was something that they could never hope to achieve.

But if he had never come into her life, she would not have made the damnable choice to join the military. She was resourceful, clever, and driven. She could have chosen any path that she wanted. And he was certain that any other path would have led her to be safer and happier than working under him and performing every hellacious bidding that he commanded. She had agreed to be his assistant, that was sure, and she faithfully obeyed his order to keep him on the right course. But sometimes the intrusive thought nagged at him- that he was asking too much of her. The image of her laying in a transmutation circle as the life bled out of her was something that he could never forget.

Riza sighed, clearly frustrated. "Colonel, I told you a million times before, don't worry about me. You need to worry about yourself."

"But you worry about me all the time," he countered.

"Sir, look at me," she insisted. It was an order that she didn't have the right to issue to her direct superior, but Roy acquiesced. When his gaze finally met hers, she continued, face resolute. "I made my choices. I left my old life because there was nothing there that I wanted to keep. Nothing but you. I can't look back. We both have to move forward with the decisions that we've made."

"Yes," he conceded. "I know that you're right." Of course he knew that she was right. It didn't make the truth any harder to swallow. "And you're going to follow me to hell."

"I think..." she paused and he realized that she was laboring to form the thoughts that were in her mind into words. "I think that this is hell, sir."

His interest piqued and he lay down on his side so that he was on the same level as her. Her gaze flickered over the length of him and he realized what the implication of his simple action was. By laying on his side next to her, he was showing how he considered her as an equal. He ranked above her, that was certain, but she had power over him. She was the only person who he trusted with his back- the only person who could keep him moving forward, and the only person who could kill him if he didn't go in the right direction. "What do you mean?"

"I mean... I think that the world that we live in is hell. The war, the Promised Day… The things that we've seen and what we've done… and it could always get worse. We're young and the road in front of us is so long. We're in positions where anything could happen."

"I see." Entranced, his eyes searched her face. "So we're living in hell. How do we get out of it?"

"We have to act," she told him softly. "No more following orders. We have to make the right choices, with deliberate actions. Then we can improve our lives. That's the only way that we can get out."

Her words gave him light. He dreamed of a future where he could finally be at peace. He had to rebuild Ishval first, and then restore the country to be a democracy. Beyond that, he didn't know. He couldn't be so selfish to desire to be happy, but maybe there was some way…

Roy laid his hand down in the space between them, and as she looked into his eyes, Riza laid her hand on top, and her fingers wove with his.

"It's going to be a long road," he whispered.

"I'm ready," she answered with a steady gaze_._

She didn't need to say any more. _Now_ was the perfect moment. He had to tell her. "Hawkeye..." His throat felt dry, but he continued. He had to continue. "I need to talk with you about something."

Immediately she drew back, folding her limbs close to her body. It appeared to him that somehow she anticipated his words, but then she had grown to read him so well. "What?" Her eyebrows were drawn together, her face was pale, and her breath was shallow. For once he couldn't decipher the expression on her face- it was foreign to him.

He swallowed, shook his head, and looked away- anywhere but at her. "Nothing… it's nothing."

Riza rolled over onto her back. "It's getting late, sir."

"Yes, you're right." He slipped out of her bed, turning his back to her. "Good night, Lieutenant."

"Good night, sir."

He exited her moonlit room and returned to his, which was pitch dark. Crawling into his bed, he sighed and tried to fall asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long! I hit a bit of rough patch with this one. It's a lot longer than the other chapters that I've written so far so I hope that you all consider it worth the wait! While there's some romance in this chapter there's a LOT of angst coming up- I'm trying to build a slow burn and the romance in this chapter was necessary to the big emotional climax later. Many thanks to my beta, pen n' notebook, who was so patient with all of the edits that I needed. I hope that you like this chapter- if you do, please review! I nearly gave up on this story until I received some very kind reviews that urged me to keep going. They really motivate me to keep writing!

* * *

The next night he came into her room again. Riza knew that it was him from the series of raps from his knuckles against the wooden door. It was a rhythm that she immediately recognized- two long taps and two short ones. It was a long time since she heard the sound, because he used it on the door of her room in her family home when they used to meet at night. _Let me in_, it said.

Her heartbeat quickened. She moved to the door and opened it, and sure enough Roy Mustang was standing there.

He looked nervous, she noticed immediately. His shoulders hunched slightly as his gaze flickered from her face to her bare feet on the floor. It was a side of him that only she was privy to- far from the competent, confident officer that he showed to the rest of the world.

She stepped aside to invite him in. A small grin upturned his lips at one corner of his mouth and he nodded in thanks. He looked towards the chair in the corner, which was innocently sitting in the dark, untouched by the moonlight streaming in from her window. She saw his gaze and hesitated, searching her feelings. The _proper_ action would be to let him take the chair. But the chair and the bed were so far apart, and Riza realized that she wanted him to be close to her. It felt natural- it felt _right-_\- to be by his side, even if it meant breaching military protocol.

So she shut the door behind him and touched his arm, bringing his attention to hers. She tilted her head in the direction of her bed, which they knew was big enough to comfortably seat the both of them. The smile returned to his mouth and he followed her across the room, crawling into the bed opposite her. They both settled in, backs to the headboard.

"Poor Fuery is getting a sunburn," he noted finally.

"I saw. He's not used to the sun here." After all, the Sergeant was too young to serve when the military occupied Ishval. "Although I'm getting burnt too."

She turned and rested her weight on her shoulder against the headboard to outstretch her arms towards him. In the silver moonlight they both could see that the back of her hands were colored pink.

Roy took her hands in his, and his thumbs rested against her knuckles. "I can't help you with that. I didn't bring a single pair of gloves with me."

She watched him. "I always have a pair of your gloves on me, just in case. But you know that I can't wear anything on my hands that would impede the movements of my fingers."

His thumbs slipped slightly lower to rest on the callouses on her middle fingers, where the guns would rest in her grip. "I suppose both of us have to use our hands as weapons."

"Yes, sir." Her eyes were soft as she looked at his face. "I suppose that you're right."

He didn't meet her gaze. Instead his eyes were trained on their hands together. Their skin tones were different, but his digits were rough in the same place as hers, where he snapped his fingers together.

Without comment, Riza let him hold her hands. She relaxed her arms and let the weight of her hands rest in his.

After a long moment he folded her hands together and placed them gingerly on the covers between them.

His eyes returned to her face. "Your hair is tangled," he observed.

"You don't have room to talk, sir." She teased him, eyeing his rakish raven locks, but still she raised one hand to smooth her long blonde strands against the side of her head. "It does get rather unkempt by the morning," she admitted.

Hesitantly, he reached to finger a tendril. "Can I braid it?"

Her eyebrows rose fractionally, but still she said, "Yes."

The crooked smile returned to his face. "I need a comb."

She nodded and slipped off the bed to pad over to her suitcase. After a minute of rummaging, she produced a hairbrush and an elastic. She returned to the bed and handed him the objects before twisting her body so that she was seated in front of him, sitting cross-legged, so that her back was turned to him.

He gathered her hair in one hand and began to gently rake it with the brush. "I like your hair this length," he told her.

"Do you?" He hadn't commented on her hair since she started to grow it out. "I'm actually thinking about cutting it again. It's much more practical to keep it short."

"That's why I like it. It's nice to see an aspect of you that isn't so utilitarian." His tone was teasing. "Am I being too rough with you?"

"No, not at all." In fact, be was being very gentle, very… tender. The sensitive skin of her head tingled pleasantly with his manipulations. He set down the brush by her side and she realized not only that by sitting in front of him that she was completely vulnerable to him, but also that their positions didn't bother her at all. And why should it? Her trust in him was complete and absolute.

Riza's hair had long gone unnoticed by those around her and she considered the state of her visage to be completely unremarkable. Therefor she simply wasn't used to any kind of personal attention. But curiously she found it to her liking, perhaps because of the person who was doting on her. There was no one else that she would allow to be so intimate with her body. Her lips parted silently as the tips of his fingers grazed her scalp before he combed them through her hair, checking for knots.

He seemed to be satisfied because he used both hands to collect her hair off of her shoulders and began to slowly plait. "I have to warn you, I'm a little rusty. It's been about twenty years since I've done this."

"Then I won't report you to the Fuhrer if you do a bad job of it, sir," she teased.

"You're so kind, Lieutenant." His movements were unsteady and unsure, but still he continued.

Riza kept her head still as he manipulated her hair. "Who taught you how to do this?"

"Clara. She told me that women like a man who is sensitive to their feminine needs." He paused his motions for a moment, then finished the braid by twisting the elastic around the ends of her locks. "Did it work?"

"Every woman in Central seems to think it does, sir." She answered, shifting her body so that they were facing again.

Roy clutched his chest dramatically. "You wound me, Lieutenant."

A smile played at her lips. "Just reporting the truth, sir."

"Noted." The playful tone left his voice as his eyes locked onto hers. Even in the brightness of the moonlight, his eyes were so dark. His voice dropped. "You know that there's only one woman's opinion that I care about."

His deep voice swept through her body like a warm wave, and her thighs twitched from the heat that radiated through her core. Riza couldn't look away from the deep black pools of his eyes. They were boundless in their intensity and she was drawn into their depths. She shifted to alleviate the hot pressure between her hips, which brought their bodies even closer.

He was quick to catch her chin with his fingertips, but then he was very still, his eyes never leaving hers. Riza realized that he was waiting for her. He wasn't going to proposition her and he wouldn't make the first move. He was going to allow her come to him if she wanted him.

Need throbbed inside her body, and she found that she didn't want to resist it. She wanted him so badly that she thought that her resolve, which had been tempered and hardened by long years of self-preservation, might break. He was many things- The Flame Alchemist, The Hero of Ishval, Colonel Roy Mustang. But in that moment she remembered Roy, the boy that she had grown up with, who she taught to swim and skip stones across the lake. He was the boy who transmuted little trinkets for her as gifts, which she had shyly accepted. They had both grown so much since those halcyon days at her family's house. Every moment that should have tempered their relationship- his leaving to be a soldier, meeting in the hell that had been Ishval, her taking the position as his aide and thus accepting his rank above her- only strengthened their bond. They had not grown apart, but together.

Maybe a little contact wouldn't be so bad, she reasoned. Surely she had enough self-control that she could allow herself just a small connection with him. Just a little bit… just a tiny amount…

Riza leaned forward and captured his lips with hers.

The kiss lasted for just a moment before she pulled back and their eyes locked again. It was too short, it wasn't enough. His hand had slipped down to grip her shoulder, purposely bypassing her tender throat that had stopped them just a few nights before, and she felt the slivers of his nails through the material of her pajamas. She watched his adam's apple bob as he searched her face, and he heaved a rough sigh when he interpreted her expression. They both wanted more.

But then, together, they broke apart. His hands left her body to grip the sheets at his side and she found herself aching from the loss of him.

"Do you want me to go?" He whispered.

She hesitated a moment before shaking her head.

"Do you want me to stay?"

A nod.

"Okay," he murmured.

Silently, they both settled onto the bed, lifting the sheets so that they could lie beneath them. Facing each other, they found each other's gaze. Riza laid her hand on the middle of the length between them, and he covered her hand with his. Satisfied, she closed her eyes, and let her guard down so that exhaustion could creep in.

Before she fell asleep, she felt a soft touch on her skin. Two short taps, and two long ones.

* * *

It was a knock on her door the next morning that woke the both of them. Roy and Riza both sat up immediately, looking at each other before springing from the bed.

"Yes?" Riza called out, voice creaking just slightly. She hoped whoever was on the other side of the door didn't notice.

"Lieutenant?" Fuery's voice sounded embarrassed. "We didn't want to wake you but it's oh-ten-hundred and we can't find the Colonel..."

Riza grabbed her wristwatch from her night stand and stared down at the face before remembering its uselessness. The sun was already climbing high in the sky outside her window and she wondered why it didn't wake her. It wasn't like her to sleep so late.

She looked over in Roy's direction and saw that he was trying to formulate a plan. For once, she was a step ahead.

"He's in here," she called to Fuery. "His shower is broken so he's going to use mine."

Roy was already crossing the room and entering the bathroom. After a second she heard the shower start.

"Oh, okay. Well we have breakfast ready when you guys come down." The creaky floorboards in the hallway belied the young sergeant's movements as he left the outside of her room and descended the stairs. When she was sure that he was out of earshot, Riza turned to Roy.

For a moment they just looked at each other before he cleared his throat. "Good morning."

She echoed the sentiment. And then: "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I feel great actually. What about you?"

"Yes, I do too." Emboldened, she took the steps necessary to be in his personal space. He looked down at her, waiting for her next movement.

Riza didn't hesitate. Lifting herself on her toes so that she was a few inches taller, she kissed him. He returned it in earnest, his fingers weaving through the loose braid in her hair.

Again, she kept the kiss short. When it ended, his fingers drifted over her cheek and down the curve of her lips.

"We shouldn't let this continue," she told him.

Roy nodded. "But we don't want to stop."

Riza could only nod in return. For all of her hardened reserve, she didn't think that she could stop what they had started. It had been such a long time coming, building every moment since they had come to know each other, and now it seemed to be an unstoppable force. Their lives were so entwined that they could not be parted, and now they had ascended to a new level.

It frightened her. It excited her. And he was right- she didn't want to end this new plane of being.

"So we'll have to be careful," she said finally.

A small grin cracked his lips. "So you're agreeing with me?"

Any other woman would have answered in petulance. But not Riza Hawkeye. "I am agreeing with you on the condition that we cannot, under any circumstances, get caught."

"Then we won't," he answered, suddenly solemn. "I'm not going to give you up."

"I'm never going to be parted from you," she answered resolutely.

"So that's that." He stepped back into the bathroom. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to use your shower."

She exited the room, but not before catching a glimpse of his bare chest as he stripped off his shirt.

She bit her lip. It was going to be hard to keep her resolve, but she could do it.

Right?

* * *

Over the days, she noticed a difference. She found that she slept sounder knowing that he was close to her side, and she noticed a change in him as well: his eyes were brighter and his steps were lighter, like he was more rested than he had been in a long time.

It was enough for her to let the engagements continue. Every night he came to her room, and every night she let him into her bed, which was big enough for both of them.

"Are you comfortable with this?" He asked her one night after daring to place his hand on her hip.

"Yes," she murmured, "but we can't go any further than we already have. If we get caught doing anything more we'll be discharged for sure."

He nodded, knowing that she was right. They had already blitzed headfirst over the line of what the military considered decent with just a few kisses and touches. Sex was simply a luxury that the two of them could not afford to indulge. If they lost their positions in the military they would never be able to reform the country. They would have to be content with the innocent gestures they already shared.

Already their simple encounters were enough to tip the balance of propriety from safety into more dangerous waters. While she was accustomed to make sure that he was always in her field of vision, now she noticed that his dark gaze followed her body wherever she went. Their eyes were always drawn to each others' and locked occasionally before they forced themselves to look away. And even though they were constantly keeping busy with their work in the region, every day something happened that strained the boundaries of their working relationship.

On Wednesday, while walking the dirt streets and she tripped on a loose stone. Roy caught her, and instead of releasing her immediately he held her close to his chest, looking down at her. Her breath caught in her throat as she became lost in his gaze, and their heartbeats thrummed together. After a long moment, when he finally let her go, she fought to regain her steely composure.

On Saturday, after a long day, they stood in the kitchen together to make dinner. His hands dirty from the grime of the streets, Roy rubbed his cheek and left a swatch of dirt on his skin. Without thinking, she raised her hand to wipe it away, and their eyes caught. They stood close for a minute or so before she removed her palm from his cheek. Then they continued, going on to make dinner like nothing happened.

On Thursday, in the early morning when she left her room after showering, she thought that everyone in the house was asleep. She had a towel wrapped around her body and one in her hand to squeeze all of the moisture out of her hair when she bumped into him in the dark hallway. He gripped her elbows to steady her and the touch of his hands on her naked skin sent a shock through her body. She knew that he felt it too from the small gasp that escaped his lips. Swallowing, she brushed past him to go into her own room.

The men surely noticed. Riza saw them watching her and their commanding officer intently whenever the two of them were close together, although when she caught one of them looking, they quickly shuffled away like nothing happened. While she knew that she trusted them not to say anything to anyone about the encounters that they saw, discomfort pooled deep in her stomach. Despite their promise to each other to not let their relationship spiral out of their control, it seemed to be doing just that.

But she continued to move forward in her tasks. Regardless of how she felt about the colonel, she was still his adjutant and bodyguard, and she would never shirk those duties. That, and rebuilding Ishval, were too important to not take seriously. So she had to subdue all of her untoward thoughts while they were on duty and she did that by throwing herself fully into the restoration. It worked against her, though- every time she was fully invested in the point of their trip, she became blind to her own feelings; and small, intimate incidents like the brush of their hands together and a meaningful aside glance turned into moments where her very breath was knocked from her lungs.

So when the day finally came that they were set to return to Central, she found herself loathe to leave. There was still a lot of work to do in the area but they had done all of the immediate diplomatic duties and could now start the long process of rebuilding the land. Her hesitation to leave the desert area was shared by her commanding officer- the night before they were set to leave, they both settled into her bed, and he turned to her.

"Can I hold you?" He asked plainly. Over the last two weeks the moon had waned outside her window, but there was still some dusky illumination that trickled in and cast a dim light on his face. She could easily read his eyes and saw the hesitation that laid there.

Wordlessly, she turned over onto her other side and settled in so that her back was to his chest. Even with her tattooed, scarred, ruined back, she trusted him to cover her. She felt his heart beat solidly against her shoulder and he curled one arm around her waist.

They both knew that it was the last night that they could indulge themselves with such intimate shared company. He pressed his cheek against her hair, and that was how they fell asleep. How ironic it was that years ago Ishval had been a place of hate and desolation, and now for the two of them it was a safe haven. In the morning they would have to leave Daliha and go back to Central, and plan how they could continue their trysts.

But that night they were content to just have each other.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Thank you to my amazing beta, pen 'n notebook, who has an awesome story coming out soon! I'm so sorry for the delay! I have most of the story written out, it just needs to be edited. I've been struggling with inspiration recently. If you like this chapter, please review! It really helps me!

* * *

The earliest train out of Daliha departed at noon, and Riza was glad to be inside the cool train car rather than standing in the hot sun.

She stood on her toes, but try as she might, she couldn't reach the overhead shelf. The suitcase threatened to slip from her grip as she adjusted it in her hands, thinking that maybe if she twisted it another way she could make it. But the side of her luggage just barely touched the edge of the rack.

A warm hand covered one of hers and she glanced over her shoulder to see her superior officer behind her. Roy wasn't looking at her; instead his gaze was focused on the rack above them. His chest pressed against her back and his breath stirred her hair at the crown of her head. He took a step forward and the pressure of his hips against against Riza's flanks made her breath catch in her throat. With a gentle shove, he pushed the suitcase onto the shelf.

Her heartbeat fluttered in her wrist as his fingers brushed over her knuckles and the back of her hand, so close to her pulse point.

Someone coughed behind them and she turned to see a Havoc, Falman, Breda, and Fuery lined up. They looked out the window to their left, at the wooden floor, at the steel ceiling- anywhere but the officers right in front of them. Riza quickly entered the compartment and took one of the seats in next to the window. Roy took the other across from her. She twisted to adjust her holster underneath the loose jacket so that it didn't poke into her side, aware that her superior officer's eyes lingered on the tight turtleneck that she wore- or rather, the curves that the fabric gripped. Heat ascended in her body but she forced herself to deny the rising lust.

Riza retrieved her book from her purse and opened it to the last page that she had marked, but as she stared down at the page she realized she didn't recognize where she was in the plot. Frowning, she flipped back a few pages, then a few pages more. She hadn't been paying much attention to the story when she was reading on the trip going into town.

"I can't wait to get back," Havoc said to the group. "I'm looking for a new girlfriend. Now that I have my legs back I want to jump back into the dating pool."

Breda groaned. "Didn't you learn from the last woman that you dated? She was a humunculus and you ended up paralyzed."

Falman spoke up. "And the woman before that dumped you for her roommate. Her female roommate. She told you that you made her realize how much she hated men."

"And the woman before that threatened you with a carving knife when you told her that you were moving to Central," Fuery supplied.

The blond shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a fool for love."

"What about Rebecca?" Riza asked. She couldn't help but be drawn into the conversation, which was much more interesting than her book.

Havoc shuddered. "Catalina? She scares me."

"You're afraid of strong women," Roy interjected.

A smile played at her lips. "You like a challenge, Jean."

The second lieutenant laughed and clapped her on the shoulder. "I do! You know me so well, Hawkeye. You know, that reminds me that you told me once that you'd let me take you on a date."

Roy's shoulders stiffened. Havoc yelped in pain as Breda, who sat across from him, shoved his foot into the blond's instep.

Riza blinked, her gaze scanning the faces of the men in the compartment. They all looked embarrassed, save for the colonel, who turned to out the window. He tapped his index finger against his knee- a tic that he had when he was anxious. She focused on Havoc's face and decided to keep her tone light as she reminded him of their actual conversation. "You have a bad memory, Jean. You brought that up all on your own when we got drunk at that dive bar after we busted the Deluca case."

"Ah… yeah… sorry, Lieutenant." He ducked his head, chuckling. "Do you think that Cata- _Rebecca_ is too good for me?"

This time, Riza actually gave him a small smile. "No, I don't. You have a big heart. And I can tell you a secret if you promise that you didn't hear it from me: she likes tall men."

He grinned brightly. "Well, at least I have that going for me. Maybe I should give her a call when we get back. Hey, can you give me her number?"

She nodded and reached into her purse to find a pencil and scrap of paper. After she printed the digits she handed the paper to him, and he looked them over with a smile. "Thanks, Hawkeye. You're really special. Everyone thinks so." When Falman elbowed him he emitted an aggrieved grunt. "What? I can say that."

"Thank you, Jean," she demurred, and turned her attention back to her book.

* * *

It was far too long before the train reached the station in Central. When they all stood, Riza stretched and smiled satisfactorily when her joints popped. This time Havoc helped her with her suitcase. He retrieved it easily and passed it to her with a boyish grin. She smiled back, took the suitcase, and started to follow the rest of the men off of the train, but a tug on her jacket stopped her.

She turned to see Roy, who grasped her wrist and towed her back into the compartment. He took her suitcase from her hand and set it aside with his. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the rest of the team congregating outside of the train window.

"They'll wonder where we are," she murmured as he gently gripped her elbows and pulled her close.

"They're big boys. They'll be okay on their own for a minute." He looked down at her, and released one of her arms to reach up and brush her bangs from her face.

She grasped the front of his button-down shirt and brought him closer. "Is there something that you wanted to tell me, sir?"

"Yes," he murmured, and tilted up her chin so that their lips met.

His mouth was hot and inviting. As the tension ascended, he grasped her hip with strong hand and held her tightly so that her body was flush with his… but only for one short minute. Their lips parted and Riza took a measured, shaky breath, and licked her lips. His dark eyes followed the movement of her tongue.

"That wasn't telling me something," she teased huskily. "That was doing something."

He expelled a breath and smiled back at her. "Sometimes they're the same."

She was about to retort when she heard hushed chatter in the corridor outside the compartment. Tearing herself away from Roy, she strode to the door, just in time to see a flash of military blue disappear down the hall and exit the train.

When Riza turned back to him, her face was pale.

"No one knows who we are," he assured her. "We're not in uniform."

"Right." She cleared her head and forced herself to think logically. They were in civilian clothes on a train with civilian passengers. No one had any reason to suspect that the two of them were breaking any kind of regulations. They looked like any other man and woman sharing an intimate moment. "We still should get going."

"You're right." Roy handed her suitcase to her and led her off of the train, and took her hand to help her down the precarious steps.

Outside the station there was just one car waiting for the group of them. Roy frowned. "Damn, I told them that we would need two cars." He turned to the rest of the group. "You men go on ahead and take the car. I'll get a cab with Lieutenant Hawkeye."

He stepped closer to Riza, and their arms brushed.

The rest of the men looked around at each other, and Breda cleared his throat. "Actually, sir, I'll ride with Lieutenant Hawkeye."

Roy frowned deeper. "I don't think that would work."

"Hawkeye and I live the closest together, sir." Breda continued. "With all due respect, it makes the most sense for us to drive together."

"I'll ride with Lieutenant Breda," Riza said, turning to her superior officer.

Roy looked at her and sighed. "Alright. I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Yes, sir," they both answered. As the four men piled into the company car, Riza and Breda walked down the distance of the station to hail a cab.

She waited to speak to Breda until they were both in the back of the cab and had given the driver their addresses. She turned to the second lieutenant. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Why do you think that I want to talk to you about something?"

Riza stared at him. "While you and I live only a couple blocks apart, Central Market is between us, and there's always a lot of traffic in that area. It's only about a ten minute drive between where I live and where-" She cut herself off abruptly and turned her head towards the cab driver. They weren't alone. "Where the colonel lives. It would take twice as long to get between our apartments than it would for me to get to the colonel's house."

"Right. I should have known that you would see right through that." The short man sighed. "It's actually the colonel that I want to talk to you about."

"What about?" She asked skeptically. Lieutenant Breda was her friend and she had no reason to suspect him of anything untoward, but her defenses were raised.

"Well… it's about the two of you, really. Me and the other guys noticed that the two of you have gotten really… close."

She folded her arms over her chest and tried to appear neutral. "The colonel and I have always been close. We've known each other a long time and work in close contact every day."

"With all due respect, Lieutenant, you know that's not what I meant." He watched her with a level gaze. "We all know that something is going on between the two of you. For one thing, you can't keep your eyes off each other. For another thing, you're always touching. We heard the two of you talking in your room every night in Ishval. Those walls were really thin, you know. And then, just now, we saw you kissing on the train!"

Her face burned and she had to look away from him. "And you're telling me this because you're worried about us, is that right?"

"Yeah, that's right. Look, we all want both of you to be happy," he pulled at his collar awkwardly, "and the two of you seemed happier together in Ishval than you have in a long time, if not ever. But that doesn't change the fact that there are laws in place that explicitly state that an officer and her superior cannot have any kind of relationship that is not completely platonic."

"We know that." Did they _ever_ know that. Her chest was starting to feel tight. "We have the situation under control."

"Do you though?" His eyes searched her face. "Because it looks to me- it looks to all of us- that the two of you are getting reckless. Maybe that was okay in Ishval when the four of us were looking out for you, but that's not going to fly here in Central where the military is everywhere. One little slip could lead to a court martial for either of you, and then where would you be? You can't get to the top that way, and we can't shield you from the world, no matter how much we wish that we could."

His words pulled at her emotions. It was her job to be the protector. Had she really been so selfish that she had cast off that responsibility for someone else to bear in her place?

The _fear_ returned and gripped Riza's heart like a vice. He was right- she had lost control. Worse than that, she willingly relinquished control of the situation to chase her desire. The colonel was her responsibility. She had to keep him on the right track. She had to think about the future. She couldn't allow any mistakes. And putting him in a position where he could lose everything was the biggest mistake that she could make.

Her stomach turned.

"You're right, Heymans," she said finally. "I'm sorry that you all had to be witness to our behavior. The situation won't go any further. Thank you for your concern."

"Don't mention it." He watched her carefully. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes, of course." She looked out the window as the car pulled to a stop in front of her apartment building. She handed Breda a few bills for the fare, and moved to leave, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"I'm sorry," he told her. His eyes were sincere. "We really do want you to be happy."

"I know," she murmured.

She couldn't muster up any kind of a smile for him as she slipped out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Sorry about the delay, everyone!

* * *

The first day that they were to report back to Central Headquarters, Riza was late. Although she chided herself, she really wasn't to blame- it was her watch that was at fault. She always was an early riser but in the morning when she woke she was so tired that she couldn't bring herself to lift her head off of her pillow. Her watch was sitting on her nightstand and she checked it for the time. It told her that she still had twenty minutes before she had to get up.

So she settled back into her comfortable bed and dozed.

It wasn't until she heard the familiar wheeze of the breaks of the A8 bus outside her window that she woke with a start. She threw back the sheets from her bed and stood in front of the window in time to see her bus rumble off down the street. Cursing, she stripped off her pajamas and ran to the bathroom. She took the quickest shower of her life and dressed hurriedly. There wasn't any time to eat breakfast. After refilling Hayate's bowl and taking him on a quick walk outside so that he could relieve himself, she made it out the door in time to make the next bus to Central Headquarters.

Adapting a stride that was quicker than her normal, measured pace, she navigated the long stark hallways in an attempt to reach her destination as hastily as possible. While rounding the corner where the engineering offices were situated she nearly ran into a gaggle of young sergeants that were congregating in the middle of the corridor. She apologized to them and they nodded and smiled, but when her back was to them she heard a giggle.

"_Rushing off to see her Colonel lover,"_ the brunette officer whispered to the rest of the group, who erupted in a cackle.

Riza turned sharply on her heel. "What is your name and rank?" She demanded.

The offending woman was taller than Riza but she shrunk under the lieutenant's sharp gaze. "Master Sergeant Ilsa Tuttor," she uttered, staring at her toes.

Riza made a mental note. "And who is your C.O.?"

The younger woman's voice grew even smaller. "Major Cyril Canmore."

"It's a crime to slander about a superior officer, even if it is just speculation. I am going to report this incident to the Major. If I hear you gossiping about Colonel Mustang's personal life again, then I will file a disciplinary action myself. Do I make myself clear?"

The group nodded quickly, mumbling a chorus of "yes ma'ams".

She raised her chin. "Then you're dismissed."

The lot of them hurried off. Riza pursed her lips and moved on.

_How could they have known_, she wondered. When they had been on the train there had been that glimpse of an officer in uniform… but there was no way that their secret could have been revealed. It was a civilian train. But then, Colonel Mustang was a widely recognized man. His personal life was always a source of intrigue, among officers and civilians. Had she, as his subordinate, been identified?

Shame burned in her core. Riza had enough pride to consider herself a consummate soldier and professional. She never thought that she would be so low as to purposely break the law, even to do something that she wanted so badly, and had wanted for suck a long time.

Now she was aware of all of the eyes that were on her as she walked. Officers of all ranks stopped to stare at her as she passed and whispered to each other behind their hands. She kept her head high and pretended like she didn't notice, but each murmur cut deep. She was used to a little gossip - after all, she was the second in command to the youngest commanding officer in the military- but it was worse today than it had ever been before. The knowing smiles mocked and belittled her. She felt her chest grew tight and seemed capable of only taking the smallest breaths.

So Riza entered the office in a foul mood, in the context of her usual unflappable demeanor of course. With an inaudible huff she sat down on her seat, aware that everyone in the room was looking at her. She was never late, or even just on time. She was always at least 10 minutes early to make coffee for the group and tea for herself.

Taking her seat, she looked up at the men sitting around her, who were all staring. She stared back harshly, and thoroughly chastised, they all turned back to whatever paperwork they needed to complete. A large stack of requisition forms had to be completed by the end of the day, so she was ready to begin. Opening the drawer underneath her desk to grab a fountain pen, she stopped suddenly.

Sitting in the drawer was a slim black box, about seven by two inches. It was plain and unadorned, and light in her hands as she pulled it out. She glanced around the room but no one seemed to notice her. Fuery took off his glasses to clean them with the fabric of his jacket, Falman squirmed in his seat, Breda pulled at his collar, and Havoc fiddled with the packet of cigarettes that he kept at his desk. Even the colonel appeared to be invested in his work. Looking back down at the object in her hands, she opened it slowly, and laid the top of the box down on the desk.

It was a watch. It looked just like the one she wore now except the one in the box was brand new. She picked it up, studied it, and glanced at the clock in the corner of the room. The time on the face matched the time on the clock, and she suspected that it was purposely synchronized with a certain silver pocket watch.

Riza cast a glance at the colonel and saw that he was watching her out of the corner of his eyes. When she looked at him, he grinned, and she smiled in return before he turned his attention back to the report that he was scribbling. The smile stayed on her face as she slipped her old watch into the trash bin by her feet and strapped the new one on her wrist. She imagined the _tick, tick, tick_ against her pulse beating in time with the watch that he kept in his pocket, close to his body. A warm feeling fluttered in her chest.

But she could not forget Breda's words, and the scrutinizing gazes were fresh in her mind. The smile died on her lips. With a heavy heart, she reached into her desk to retrieve a pen.

* * *

Towards the end of the day, when their fingertips were dry from turning piles and piles of pages, Riza stood behind the colonel's desk and showed him where he needed to sign on the last stack of paperwork. She was very careful to not touch him and maintain a respectful distance, and she recognized that for his part he did his best to not look at her face when she had to lean in close to point at a particular line. Still, being so near him was disconcerting, and she almost jumped when the phone on his desk rang.

Sitting up straight, Roy gasped the phone and held it to his ear. "This is Colonel Mustang."

Riza speculated who was on the other end of the line as she watched his face draw with concern. "Yes, I understand," he intoned. "We'll be right there."

When he hung up the phone the other men paused in their work to look up at him. "The Fuhrer wants to see us," he told her, sitting back in his chair to look back at her.

"_Us?_" Riza questioned, not letting her voice or face showing any signs of worry, although she knew that he could sense it. She ran through all of the scenarios in her head why Fuhrer Grumman would want to see the both of them. While she and her grandfather shared a friendly familial bond (they met for lunch twice a month, on Wednesdays), they maintained a strictly professional relationship at work. Usually he would ask to see the colonel and she would accompany him as his adjutant, but he never specifically requested her presence. Not until now, at least.

Her stomach sank. He could have asked for her to come along if they were both in trouble.

He nodded and tented his fingers tensely for a moment before standing. "Well, I guess we should get going."

"Yes, sir," She followed him through the office and out the door.

The Fuhrer's office was a floor above theirs and they walked in silence. When they reached the silent stairway, Roy turned to her, and placed his hand on her arm. But then the door the floor above them slammed open and the loud chatter of two officers filled the space. Both commander and subordinate parted quickly, and after a beat started up the stairs. Riza watched his hand clench and fall to his side.

When they reached the office, he reached for the door handle, then paused. "Lieutenant," he began, and she raised her head so that their eyes met.

"Yes, sir?"

"As far as he knows, we haven't done anything wrong." His tone was firm but it rang hollow. He had said it not just to make her feel better, but to convince himself.

She just nodded silently, and he opened the door.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Hey all! I am ALIVE! Sorry for the delay! Thank you all so much for your support, it really, truly means a lot to me.

Many, many, MANY thanks to by beta, pen n' notebook, who is the wisest and most patient person to have ever lived.

I'm ready to get this story FINISHED, so let's go!

* * *

"Colonel Mustang, Lieutenant Hawkeye!" Beaming, Fuhrer Grumman, stood from his desk and beckoned for the pair to enter. "Please, come in and take a seat."

Silently, Roy lowered himself into the right seat, allowing Riza to automatically take the one to his left.

Riza positioned herself like the perfect soldier she was- chin perpendicular to her knees, elbows flared closely at her waist so that she could fold her hands into her lap. This was not his Roy's first time in the Fuhrer's office, but it was hers.

Roy's last time had been just a few weeks after the Promised Day when the old general was promoted and Roy had been invited to meet him. At that time, there was a great flux in power, with officers involved propagating the events of the Promised Day facing demotion or expulsion. It had just been a small meeting, a handshake, a smile, and a 'thank you'. His office has been nothing short of a mess. King Bradley's belongings had already been delivered to his widow and Grumman's were still in boxes.

Grumman, or his secretary, had decorated the office since then. Off set from his desk was a large chess set, with a cherry wood stand, alabaster and ebon wood pieces. He had hung up several paintings on the walls of wildlife scenes. Before she had even sat down, Riza's eyes had already done her customary sweep of a new setting- every window and exit was always accounted for. Now that they were seated, she appeared to focus on a large oil painting behind the Fuhrer's desk. It was a painting of a milky river cutting through a valley to pass in front of a wooded hill. The spade-shaped trees were painted in sage and muted emerald tones. At the very bottom of the hill, where the soil met the river, the image of a cozy little cottage was carefully daubed onto the canvas.

During one of their chess games in the East, Grumman had mentioned that his side of the family had a home in the mountains in the south. Riza, he knew, had never been there. She told Roy once in Ishval- the FIRST time they had been to Ishval- that her mother's father did not approve of the man that she married. Despite that, her grandfather always sent her letters with his personal stationary, and she sent photographs of herself that he must have used to decorate his home, since there was no visible mention of family in the office.

But when they were young, he remembered that Riza once told him about a cabin that her mother's family owned. Her mother had shown her pictures, but Master Hawkeye never allowed Riza to go.

"So I suppose you're both wondering why I called you here." The old man sat down as well and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. His eyes glinted behind his glasses, but his tone was sincere. "Do either of you have anything to tell me?"

Riza's spine was as ramrod straight as always but she stiffened beside Roy. She pointedly stared directly in front of her, knowing that as the superior officer, Roy would be the first to speak.

"Well, sir," Roy began, "you know that we just returned from Ishval."

"Yes, of course. Ishval." The Fuhrer smiled, but there was still a glint in his eye. "Please tell me all about it."

Clearing his throat, Roy recounted their time in the desert region. He told him about the lands that the Ishvalans were planning to use for agriculture, where they wanted to build the train stations that would connect them to the country of Xing, and how the Ishvalans wanted their region to be designated as a holy land. "I believe I included all of that information on my report," he concluded.

All the while the old man nodded and smiled. "Yes, that is very impressive, Colonel. I'll be honest, I was skeptical that we could rebuild Ishval. Not in our lifetime, anyway. The breadth or work that you've taken on is immense, and you have exceeded every expectation. It'll only be fitting for you to continue to lead the project now that I'm promoting you to brigadier general."

Roy's eyes widened. "Brigadier general?" He repeated. Of course, he had been hoping since the Promised Day, but their bureaucracy was in such disarray for a long period, he had been expecting it to take years.

"Yes, of course." Grumman nodded. "Just one step closer to becoming Fuhrer. I'm an old man, you know. I will have to step down in the next couple years, and I will be replaced by one of my generals. And I will not allow myself to be replaced by someone who only wants to wear a uniform for show and the brass to impress. I need someone humble enough to take my advice and strong enough to shoulder the country when I'm gone." He regarded Riza. "And, Lieutenant, to thank you for your hard work, you will be promoted to captain. And Brigadier General Mustang may choose to keep you as his adjudicant."

"I do choose to," Roy said, probably a little too hastily.

"Wonderful!" The old man exclaimed. "Your new office is ready and you can move in by the end of the week so that you can start your new duties on Monday. Going forward, I want all of my generals on this floor. Headquarters is enough of a maze as it is, and I don't want you to be far. You won't need a team for the field any more so they won't be reporting to you directly, but your men will be offered their pick of posts all over the country. I know that you enjoyed field work but as a General your work will be more administrative, in addition to helping fulfill our obligations to local governments. I will have my secretary Rebecca draft up a list of your new responsibilities and you will attend your first meeting tomorrow. "

Riza spoke up for the first time. "Thank you, sir." Roy echoed the sentiment.

"Oh, it's my pleasure. The two of you work so well together, and you deserve to be recognized." He smiled. "Captain, you are dismissed. You can collect all the necessary documentation from my secretary."

She stood from her seat and saluted the Fuhrer. As she walked to the door, her eyes caught those of her superior officer. He gave her an almost imperceptive nod of his head, hoping that it would quell her worries. Once she left, Roy turned back to Grumman.

He cleared his throat. "Is there something private that you wanted to talk to me about, sir?"

The old man just stared at him for a minute, and Roy felt a bead of sweat trickle down from the crown of his head to the back of his neck, and down beneath the collar of his uniform.

Grumman finally spoke. "I'm glad that we're going to be working together closely. It'll be just like before, when we were in East City. We can start our chess games anew."

"I would like that very much, sir."

"Wonderful!" Grumman exclaimed. "Then there's just one thing that I need to discuss with you."

Roy tried very hard to keep his countenance neutral, and tapped his finger against his knee in an attempt to contain his nerves. "Yes, sir?"

The old man still smiled. "You and my granddaughter do make a good team." When the color drained from Roy's face, he laughed. "Don't be so embarrassed. You know that everyone can see it."

"Yes, sir," was all Roy was able to say, his blood running cold.

Grumman continued and his face shifted into a more serious expression, "Are you aware the two of you were seen in very close quarters, in very intimate circumstances, on the train from Ishval to Central?"

A breath caught in Roy's throat. "No-"

Riza had seen someone in uniform outside their compartment. He had dismissed it and forgotten until just now.

He swallowed.

Grumman only nodded kindly. "You know that there will always be rumors about a man in power. It's unavoidable. I won't speculate about what is and is not true, but I worry. I might be the Fuhrer, but there are laws that everyone must follow, and there are consequences from which I cannot protect you. The only thing that would hurt me more than to see you deterred from your ambitions, after everything that you've been through, is to see my only surviving family member in distress. I want you to be happy, but I don't want anyone to get hurt in the process. I'm sure that you understand."

"I do, sir," Roy managed.

"Good. Very good." Grumman beamed, eyes crinkling. "Of course I still expect you to make an honest woman out of my granddaughter one day, when you're Fuhrer."

While Roy usually had a quick response to the older man's teasing antics, now he could only nod in acknowledgment. "Is there anything else, sir?"

"No, that would be all." He waved his hand. "You're dismissed."

* * *

Roy left the office and found Riza waiting for him in the antechamber, talking to Lieutenant Catalina. Well, she wasn't talking to her best friend as much as her best friend was talking to her. While Catalina appeared to be animatedly describing the date that she went on last weekend, Riza's eyes were trained on the door to her grandfather's office, and when she saw Roy exit she took a step towards him, awaiting his instruction. She searched his face for any clues as to why Grumman asked to speak to him alone, and he could see that the knuckles of her hands were white from clenching her fists.

Not here, his eyes communicated with her, and he beckoned for her to follow him with a jerk of his head towards the door. She immediately crossed the room to close the space between them and took her usual post just a step behind him.

"Don't forget about our girl's night on Friday, Riza!" Catalina called cheerfully, waving to her friend. Riza muttered a distracted goodbye as they left the room.

Instead of leading them in the usual route back to his office, he took them down a different hallway. When he reached the archive room, he glanced around to see if anyone was looking about to make sure if no one was watching them before he directed her inside.

Riza stood in place as he strode around the space, checking the smaller rooms. Once he confirmed that they were alone, he turned back to her. A minute passed as they both stared at each other. The room was silent except for the muffled chatter in the hallway outside.

"He knows about us," Roy said finally.

"Everyone knows about us," she countered.

He ran a shaky hand over his unkempt hair. "We're not in trouble. It's just rumors and speculation. We've always dealt with those."

Riza's mouth set into a firm line. "But we were seen on the train, correct? Isn't that what Grumman had to tell you? So now there is evidence behind the rumors and speculation."

She could see from his pained expression that he knew that she was right. The delicate balance of their relationship was tipping too far to the side. While she was always content with the tiny but meaningful gestures that they shared, now she needed more. Her body ached to know his- she longed to feel him pressed against her, to let him take care of her needs- both physical and emotional. The careful dance that they had orchestrated over the years that had served them so well was spinning out of control.

"How could we be so foolish?" She lamented, rubbing her tense forehead. "I shouldn't have let it go this far."

"I don't see how we could have ended up in any other situation." he told her, walking up so that they were close, as if his proximity would soothe her.

It didn't, and she frowned. "You and I both chose this outcome, sir." Her inflection lingered too long on his honorific to serve to remind him of their roles.

Roy bristled at that. "Don't 'sir' me, Riza."

His casual use of her given name perturbed her. It was so intimate and she wasn't prepared to hear it slip from his lips.

"Don't call me that!" she snapped. "You will address me by my rank."

"You can't give orders to me. I am your commanding officer," he reminded her tensely.

"Well then act like it! We need to stop this before it gets too far. Too far, and tell each other..."

Her voice trailed off.

They were getting too close already. Something bright and hot circled nearer by the day, by the minute. It had been blazing since the moment they met, all those years ago. It almost burned them once before, on the Promised Day, when she bled out in his arms.

_Too far_ was coming in close. She could feel the heat on the delicate skin of her face. At risk of being burned was their entire working life- their ranks in the military and all of their accomplishments. All that they had done so far and wanted to do with their futures. Their work was everything. They had both given their entire lives to the military and it was so tenuous. Because they couldn't hold back from each other, they were getting singed already.

The door opened and they both swiveled to see Private Sheska in the threshold, her arms full of books. Upon seeing the two officers standing there glaring at her, she meeped an apology and backed out of the room.

Clenching his fists, Roy turned back to his subordinate. "I don't want to stop this. You're the only good thing in my life." He was staring at her intensely with burning black eyes. "Riza… I..."

She felt her throat constrict. She knew the words that were about to fall from his lips, and she could not listen to him say them. They were in a safe place now, with their codes and veils. Once he voiced those words, they would cross the threshold and they could not go back.

"Don't say it," she uttered with a warning tone in her voice. "Don't you dare say it, Roy."

But his face was set with resolve, and he pressed forward. "Riza, I love you."

She knew that those three little words would destroy them, but she wasn't prepared for how sweet they sounded to her ears. He said them like a fervent prayer, and she felt tears tickle her eyes.

"I told you not to say it," she whispered, her voice cracking. "You shouldn't have said it. You're going to ruin everything. We've worked so hard to get where we are now..."

Unfazed, he stepped forward, firmly gripping her by her shoulders. "I don't want everything if I can't have you with me, by my side. I know now. There's two things that will make me happy- rebuilding Ishval and being with you."

"_Our_ goal is making you Fuhrer," she tried to remind him, but her breath was slight.

He always made things sound so easy. He was such an idealist, and while she cherished that about him, admired him for it; it made her job all the more difficult. While he dreamed about the future, she had to watch after him in the present.

Her lower lip quivered. For a moment she allowed herself to give into the fantasy of being with him. She wanted to surrender and finally feel him the way she had always wanted. Now, just like in her dreams every night, she saw that card the fortune teller had pulled for her. What she would give to be standing in a lush garden, filled with the brightest, most sweetest, verdant flowers. And he was holding out to her. He was so close.

But there it was again- the _fear_. Her love for him was too deep. She couldn't protect him if she was too close to him. She had to think about their goal, and she refused to allow her feelings for him to deter them from reaching the top together. Giving in would only mean that she was holding him back. He said The Words but she had to stop them from having any meaning.

He wouldn't understand. He was so driven. The world was at Roy Mustang's finger tips. He would do whatever it took, work as hard as he needed to succeed. But a relationship together could not happen. If she simply told him that, he wouldn't give up.

So Riza decided that she had to lie.

She forced her face into a resolute expression, and she shrugged out of his grip, squaring her shoulders.

When she spoke, her voice was cold. "We made a mistake that we're now going to fix. Going forward, our relationship will be strictly professional. Nothing more."

He frowned and reached for her again. "This hasn't been a mistake. And you can't want that. I _know_ you don't want that."

Riza pulled herself away. "You're my boss and that's it. That's all that you will ever be to me. That is the only relationship we can have. If you thought that there was a future for us then you were mistaken."

He gaped at her and she realized that he was waiting for her to take back and apologize, but she just stood there, staring at him. She watched him look for anything in her eyes that he could hold on to, something like compassion, sympathy, or love. But her countenance was hard, and he found no purchase there.

His mouth set into a firm line. "Fine!" He snapped. "Do I need to look for a new adjutant? Or a new bodyguard? You said that you'd follow me anywhere, or was I mistaken about that as well?"

Questioning her loyalty was a low blow, and she narrowed her eyes. "I assure you, sir, that I am perfectly capable of performing my duties."

"Fine," he repeated, walking towards the door. "I'm going to go tell the men about their transfers. Are you coming with me?"

She didn't hesitate to move into her usual position of two steps behind him. "Yes, sir."

He seemed surprised for only a moment before his face darkened and he opened the door. She followed him, like always, her footsteps echoing behind his. The sounds were spaced further apart now.

Riza's heart ached, but she knew that she made the right choice. She refused to be his weakness any more.


	9. Chapter 9

By the end of the week, Roy dreaded the walk to his new office in the morning. Havoc, Breda, Falman, and Fuery had all accepted other positions and transferred to different departments. Although they all remained in Central and promised that they would still meet up for a monthly night out, he already missed their presence terribly. For one thing, their deficit signified the inevitable shift in his responsibilities that he loathed: more office work. Generals didn't do field work, after all. While other officers of his rank accepted that fact with grace, Roy knew that the change would be a more difficult transition. He enjoyed the camaraderie of working with a team, especially with his men. Now his days would be filled with forms, requests, and long, tedious meetings. He had one such meeting this morning, he remembered.

_"This is what you want," _Riza would have reminded him if they still spoke to each other_. "When you're_ _Fuhrer you're not going to be arresting drug lords and serial killers. You're going to be leading the_ _entire country, not just a couple men."_

Riza was the other problem. When they were still packing up his old office, he at least had the buffer of the other men to distract himself from her cold presence. Now that they were alone in his new office, he could not ignore that she was doing anything that she could to distance herself from him. She performed with the utmost professionalism, of course, and he would never expect any less from her. But aside from the scope of her normal duties- reminding him of his schedule, informing him what papers needed his signature and what for, and recounting the minutes of the meetings that they had to attend- she never spoke to him. Only the cursory good morning when she greeted him or goodbye in the evening. She never even looked at him, let alone touched him.

So he was terribly lonely without the support of his men and the comfort of his most trusted subordinate. His days felt longer and he was more tired when they were done. He slept like shit and he hated looking in the mirror because then he was forced to see the dark circles under his eyes that he knew everyone noticed.

And he was having that nightmare again. The dream with the fire and the smoke and the heat. The one that had woken him that night in Ishval; except now he had it every night it seemed. There was a new addition too- after he snapped his fingers, and the inferno erupted, between the pillars of smoke he saw a flash of blonde hair, followed by a woman's scream.

His feelings for Riza were so raw and ran so deep. She knew every side of him, top to bottom, inside and out. He didn't know when he had fallen in love with her- just that he was, had been, and will always be in love with her. He knew that she was lying to him when she told him that she didn't love him. But he couldn't understand why.

Headquarters really was a damn maze. With his thoughts distracting him, it took Roy longer than it should have to reach the top floor.

En route to his new office, he passed a conference room. One of the doors was open and while he normally wouldn't have paid the room any mind, he heard a voice that made him pause. It was Riza's voice. She should have been in the office by now. Curious, he took a couple steps closer to the room to peer inside.

He recognized the man she was talking to- he was Major Canmore. Cyril Canmore was an officer who was promoted for his bravery after the Promised Day, in the vacuum caused by the mutiny of the upper officers. Roy had spoken to him on a couple occasions at military benefits and found him to be an honest and affable man. He was tall and in his late thirties, with sandy blond hair and green eyes. They were speaking in hushed tones so Roy could not hear the words that they were saying, but they were positioned so that their sides were to him and he could see their faces.

He could immediately tell that his Captain was perturbed. She was telling the Major something- Roymade out the phrase "slanderous gossip". Canmore nodded sympathetically as he listened and let her say her piece. When she was finished, he laid a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. Roy wished that he could hear them more clearly because as the older man spoke he could see Riza's posture relax and her gaze soften.

Then her head snapped to the side as she focused on Roy standing in the doorway. He wasn't surprised; she always could pin-point his exact location. He watched her school her face into a closed, blank expression before he stepped away from the door and continued down the hall.

Dismayed because he had witnessed her express such open emotion with someone else. The look that she gave the major was so much gentler than the way that she had been regarding Roy recently. Jealousy surged through his chest and he clamped it down. He wondered what he had to do to get her to look at him like that again.

She entered the office a couple minutes after he did, predictably quiet as she took her seat at her desk. Instead of ignoring her silence as he usually did, he watched her for a minute.

"I don't know Major Canmore very well, how do you find him?" He asked, pretending to not be too invested in the conversation by starting an expense report.

"He's a good man, sir," she answered. "His shoes could use a shine and his uniform needs to be pressed. But he is a very sympathetic man."

Roy nodded. And asked the question that was he was actually interested in. "What were you speaking with him about?"

Her eyes flickered over to him for the briefest moment before she reached for a fountain pen. "It's nothing to concern yourself with, sir."

"I see." She was hiding something from him, or was she protecting him? With a small sigh he sat forward. "What time is the meeting this morning?"

"Oh-nine hundred, sir." She glanced down at her wrist, only to frown. She forgot that she wasn't wearing the watch. He noticed its deficit as soon as she stopped wearing it, the day after their fight. With a heavy heart he stared at the bare skin on her wrist. He knew that she liked his gift; the smile on her face when she opened the box said everything.

He checked his own time piece. "We better get going then."

Riza nodded, stood, and gathered a pen and notepad, then waited patiently to follow him out the door.

* * *

Ever since their fight the other day, she had been an extra step behind him when they walked. Usually it was two steps, now it was three. Roy noticed immediately, but didn't say anything. What was there to say? She obviously didn't want anything to do with him anymore. That thought sank down through his abdomen like a dead weight.

The meeting was just down the hall. When the two of them entered the conference room, all eyes cast upon them. Roy knew the officers in the room had long slandered and speculated about his career behind his back. He was at least a decade younger than the other men. And Riza was the only woman. He spotted a few of the older men eye her from head to toe. Riza, noble as ever, kept her head high as if she didn't notice. She was not the only adjutant in the room, but like Roy, she was easily the youngest.

Roy found a seat at the end of the table just as the other officers began to sit. Many, if not all of the other generals had their own adjutants with them, stationed behind the officers as they waited for the meeting to start. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Riza take her customary position behind his left shoulder. Her elbow brushed the back of his seat as she prepared her notes and uncapped her pen. He knew that she always liked to start her notes with the date written neatly at the top of the page.

"Well gentlemen,' Fuhrer Grumman began from his seat at the head of the table. ''To start off, I want to introduce you to our newest general, Roy Mustang. I know that you all know Brigadier General Mustang and I trust that you will treat him with the respect that you treat each other."

The old man was aware of the stigma that always circled Roy, and Roy appreciated the attempt at respect in his favor.

The other officers at the table, with a definite edge in their gaze, turned to nod at Roy. He nodded back courteously.

"Let's begin the meeting, then." Grumman turned in his seat to regard an officer on the left side of "Major General Payne, There has been a definite uptick in the construction around the city. Report how that is going."

The officer, a tan man with a handlebar mustache, sat forward. "The efforts are slow, but going well overall. Our greatest hindrance is that while the civilian population is keen to rebuild their homes and businesses, there is still a great distrust of the military. My men have reported that the civilians feel the military was at fault for what happened on that day- the Promised Day, is what they're calling it. They have shown almost no interest to rebuild military buildings, including the destruction made to headquarters. I will need to offer an additional monetary incentive to workers..."

The room was warm, and Roy felt the negative effects of his nights of poor sleep. He tried to train his eyes towards the window directly in front of him but his pupils could not focus. He was at the end of the table, and no one was paying attention to him.

His eyelids were very, very heavy.

Roy wasn't sure how long the moment passed, it seemed like just a second, when he felt a sharp jab at the soft spot between his skull and upper neck. He was able to keep the bodily shock to a minimum, just a slight startle in his seat.

He didn't look back at Riza. He wasn't surprised. Even though she couldn't see from his face that he was falling asleep, she could read his body language.

In what he knew was in her line of vision, Roy tapped two fingers against the arm of his chair. Just two taps, twice. A simple gesture of acknowledgment. It was one of their many unspoken, nonverbal cues. A simple tap of the finger could mean many things, all based on the context of the situation. His two taps was gesture to say _thank you_. Riza would know what he meant. What he didn't know was, would she respond?

There was a beat, a moment that seemed to last several seconds, but she did respond. Two taps to his shoulder.

He let out a small breath that he had been holding. And it was just in time.

"Brigadier General Mustang," Grumman smiled as he acknowledged the younger man, "Is spear-heading the project of rebuilding Ishval. Tell us about your efforts, Brigadier General."

Roy held his head a little higher as a display of confidence. "Captain Hawkeye and I spent two weeks in Ishval working to build and repair bonds with local leadership. There is still construction underway from the war and I would like to bring in some troops to help rebuild. I've spoken with an envoy from Xing and they are ready to commit to building a train line from their capital to Ishval."

Several of the officers glanced among each other with narrow eyes. One of them, evidently a lieutenant general judging by the stars on his uniform, spoke up. "Why are we spending time and effort rebuilding Ishval? That territory has always been trouble. Even before the war, they resisted acclimation into our country. We tried introducing our holidays, of which they were very disdainful. They scoffed when we tried to build standard Amestrian buildings like courthouses. Ishvalans openly despised our culture. Their own actions caused their land to be destroyed."

The other men nodded in agreement. Another officer leaned forward insistently. "We're already burning though our budget to undo the damage caused to Central City. Why is it worth spending more money to help a bunch of zealots reclaim the desert?"

The room feel silent as everyone looked at Roy. He could hear the shuffle of garments and paper and knew that Riza was standing straight and tall behind him.

"When Amestris annexed Ishval," he began, "it was already a strategic addition to our country. Ishval is a buffer state between our Southern sections and Aurego. Though a desert, there is arable land there, where we can grow crops like wheat and cotton to support our growing country. Amestris will grow when we open trade between our country and Xing. Ishval will be an important stepping stone between the two countries. There are already plans underway to build a railway from Ishval to Xing that would facilitate trade. I think we can all agree that trade with Xing would be prosperous. That is why we must rebuild Ishval."

He didn't mention the effort that he was making to rebuild Ishvalan communities and restore their broken population back to a place where their society could flourish. The rich, high level men in the room wouldn't understand.

However, Roy's calculated plea was a success with the other officers around the table. The other men showed him approving smiles, and the officer next to him patted Roy's shoulder. While he should have felt accomplished, Roy just felt more annoyed at the emotional expense it took to fit in with other officers. These men were play-acting. It was part of the game. He understood each piece of the puzzle and how they had to line up to his advantage.

But Roy couldn't bask in his small victory now. He was simply too exhausted.

Fortunately, gratefully, the Fuhrer adjourned the meeting. Roy was smart enough in social etiquette to know that he should not be first to leave the meeting. So he waited until lieutenant general Woodward, leaning on a worn poplar cane, teetered out of the conference room to move. Familiar footsteps followed Roy down the hall, but instead of leading her into his office, he turned and faced Riza.

"I have some business to attend to," he told her. "I won't be gone long."

Her eyes widened fractionally, and he could see the calculations behind deep brown irises.

"I will fetch another pen. Mine is running out of ink," she said, knowing full well that he was dismissing her.

Roy kept his voice calm and collected. "It's unofficial business, Captain. I will not be needing your services."

Her nostrils flared. She didn't know what he was going to do she didn't like it.

"You're dismissed, Captain," he told her, handing her the keys to the office. "I'll be back soon"

She snatched the keys from his hand and entered the office, and Roy started walking down the hall. His destination was a few floors down.

Riza's actions confounded him. After her complete and total expulsion of his feelings just a few days ago, he had become accustomed to the cold shoulder that she had been giving him. But suddenly her stubbornness shown through when he told her that she wasn't needed? She didn't want to be left out? And the taps earlier… she wouldn't have extended the gesture if she hadn't meant to accept his gratitude.

Riza needed control. That much he knew. But her actions belied her words.

He reached his destination and opened the door. Several faces looked up at him in surprised, almost all except one.

"Brigadier General Mustang!" Major Canmore exclaimed. He stood with a crisp salute. "What can we do for you?"

"You are the only one whose audience I need," Roy said in a way that he hoped was assuring. "I need to meet you in the empty office next door."

"Of course, sir" the Major nodded. He grabbed his uniform jacket off the back of his seat- an action that Roy watched with a half-smile, as it reminded him of his days in his cramped office in East City when he never wore his own jacket unless necessary.

Roy strode into the empty office, flipping on the lights. He closed the door after Canmore entered.

Riza was correct in her evaluation of his disheveled uniform. Roy also noticed that the older man needed a shave. There were lines between his eyes and when Canmore attempted to smooth out the tension Roy could see a tan line on the fourth finger of his left hand.

"How may I be of service to you, Brigadier General?" The Major with a tremor of anxiety in his voice. Nevertheless, he stood tall.

Roy put his hands in his pockets. "I need to know what you talked about with my assistant this morning."

"Oh," the older man smiled fondly and his bright green eyes crinkled. "Captain Hawkeye and I were merely discussing the conduct of my subordinates. Your adjutant is a fine woman, Brigadier General. A true and loyal officer."

His answer confused Roy even more, with the addition of a stab of annoyance at the major's very obvious crush on Riza.

The major continued. "One of my Sergeants said something inappropriate in Captain Hawkeye's presence. I have always known the stoic grace of your assistant, but when she came to me to report the matter, she was tense and upset."

"I see." ever since their disagreement the other day, Riza had been cold as ice. He had to know what made her upset. "This Sergeant of yours, what did he or she say that was important enough to Captain Hawkeye to bring to your attention?"

The smile fell from Major Canmore's face. I'm ashamed to tell you that the comment in question was about your personal relationship with Captain Hawkeye, sir."

Ah. Roy felt a wave of exasperation pass through him, from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. He heaved a heavy sigh

The major could tell that Roy was perturbed. "I reassured Caption Hawkeye that I would extol the proper discipline to my subordinate. That seemed to pacify her. What my Sergeant said what was completely inappropriate."

Ah.

In the last week, he had wondered why Riza's agitation had seemed to overwhelm her. She was certain that a military personnel had seen both she and Roy in an intimate embrace on the train. He had dismissed it at the time. But after what Grumman had said about hiding any relationship, he wondered.

"Major," Roy began "I am going to ask you a question, and you must answer honestly,"

"Yes, sir." Canmore nodded. His gaze flickered around the room nervously before focusing on Roy.

Roy took his hands out of his pockets. "Have you heard any other speculation, from any other officer or personnel, about the possibility of me inappropriate relationship with Captain Hawkeye?"

Major Canmore inhaled a sharp breath. "Yes I have, sir," he answered after a few moments.

"How many rumors have you heard and for how long?" Roy pressed.

The Major fidgeted with the hem of his pocket, but did not break eye contact. "I have heard idle gossip since I became an officer, but there has definite increase in rumors this week."

"I see," Roy tried to keep his face passive, "what officers and where have you heard these allegations."

"All over headquarters, sir. And too many officers to number. The word has been passed around to everyone."

Roy nodded to the Major. "Thank you for the information. I must ask that you keep the conversation we had today private."

"Of course, sir." Major Canmore saluted and left, and Roy started the walk back to his office, deep in thought.

There was little wonder now why Riza was racked with such anxious paranoia. And he had dismissed her worries, because… why? Roy thought that he was above rumors. He let his feelings for her blind him to the repercussions. And, he was willing to admit, there had been a little masculine bravado on his part. He thought that he could take care of any issues. Obviously, he hadn't.

That look in her eyes when he openly professed his feelings for her haunted him. It occurred to him that he had seen a brief flash of that look before, on her face, laying in her bed in Ishval- the last time they were in Ishval. It came a moment after he felt so close to her, when they were connected by their fingertips, with nothing in between them. She had no reason to be perturbed.

That scream in his nightmare was in her voice. That look in her eyes was fear.

She was afraid of him.

Roy had never known Riza to be afraid of anything before. Not when her father died, and watched the coffin of her only close family member be covered with dirt. Not in Ishval, when she truly became the "Hawk's eyes"- known for her steady hands, and eyes that were clear and true. Not on the Promised Day, when, still sluggish from blood loss, she stood on unsteady feet and told him that she would still fight by his side. Those times she had been resolute, composed, and undaunted. His confidant, his rock, his Riza.

Voicing his deepest, truest feelings to the person who he considered to be an extension of himself was something that, Monday and every day leading up to Monday, he considered a trigger point in their relationship, and would open the door for a future that they both wanted. So he told her that he loved her, in a way that they both knew extended beyond officer and subordinate, and even old friends. The words had been on his mind for a long, long time, and he always thought that when he finally told her, it would be the final thread that would bring them closer than ever before. He did not expecting her to completely shut down. He did not expect her to push him away.

Riza glanced up at him briefly when he entered before going back to reading some reports- he didn't know what they were, just that they were due before the end of the day.

Roy took his seat and looked over at her, but did not meet her gaze. "Is there something within the scope of my abilities that I can do for you, Sir?" she asked tersely, not even looking up from her desk.

He knew that he should apologize for something, and that something was telling her _"I love you"_. But he wasn't sorry for say those words because they were the truth. And he still didn't understand why she was lying to him, and why she was suddenly afraid of him.

"No, there is nothing," he answered, looking down at his own desk. "We have a lot to do before five o'clock."

She murmured a "yes, Sir" in agreement, and that was the last thing he said to her all day.

* * *

That night Roy had just fallen asleep when the phone beside his bed rang. He groaned and rolled over on his side, away from the offending noise, and tried to ignore it. But the phone kept ringing and ringing and ringing…

Cursing, he sat up and ignited the light at his bedside before picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"_Hi, is this Roy Mustang?"_ A voice that was familiar but from an unknown source on the other end of the line asked.

"Yes, this is _Brigadier General_ Roy Mustang," he answered gruffly, rubbing his eyes. "Who the hell is this?"

"_Cut the shit, Mustang. This is Rebecca."_

"Catalina?" He grabbed his pocket watch off of the small table beside him and checked it. "Do you know that it's one-thirty in the morning?"

"_I know what time it is, MISTER BRIGADIER GENERAL! I had a couple drinks but I'm not that far gone. Not like Riza is, anyway..."_

"Wait, Ri- Captain Hawkeye is with you?" Wondering why the hell she didn't lead with that, he sat up a little straighter.

"_Well yeahhh," _she leaned drunkenly on the last syllable, _"that's why I'm calling. You think I called you in the middle of the night just to, like, chit chat with you? No, I'm with Riza and I need you to come pick us up. We walked here and I can't get her home by myself. She's really sick."_

"What?" He was already standing up and searching for his pants. When he found them he cradled the receiver between his ear and shoulder to put them on. "What happened?"

"_So, Riza and I went to a bar after dinner to get drinks. Oh my god the drinks!"_

Her mouth left the receiver and he heard what sounded like a muffled conversation with the bartender. _"I am trying to pay you! You won't take my money? What do you mean they're already paid for?"_

"Rebecca!" Roy snapped into the receiver.

He could hear her groan in frustration. She cursed but returned to the conversation._ "Roy, I have never seen her drink like that. She just knocked them back. Some guy has been watching her the whole night. And now it turns out that he's been paying for her drinks the entire time."_

Dread set into Roy's stomach. He finished fumbling with the closure of his pants and pulled out a clean undershirt and then a button-down from his dresser. The body of the phone scraped over the surface of his nightstand as he pulled it to its limits. "Where are you?"

"_We're at the Cat's Eye. It's on the corner of 7th and Bigelow."_

He knew the exact place, it was only about a fifteen minute drive away. "I'll be right there."

"_Good. We're in a booth. Wait, before you hang up. Just promise me one thing."_

"What?" he ground out, buttoning up his shirt and tucking it into his pants.

"_Riza will kill me if I let you get into trouble. For her sake, when you get here, promise that you won't make a scene."_


	10. Chapter 10

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p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12.0pt 0in .0001pt 0in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"As soon as Roy opened the door to the bar he was hit with a cloud of smoke. He coughed into his elbow and pushed past a throng of drunk patrons. In the corner there was a raucous group of men playing darts. At the bar, women drunkenly giggled at drunk men's advances, and in the booths lovers nuzzled and canoodled. In the back there was a jukebox, and to the rhythm of the song couples danced and swayed./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; line-height: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;""…She said, I don't mind, if you don't mind,/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; line-height: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"'Cause I don't shine if you don't mind,/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; line-height: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"Put your back on me,/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; line-height: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"Put your back on me,/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; line-height: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;"Put your back on me…"/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"He didn't know this bar, but Friday nights were busy everywhere, and it certainly was here. Rebecca had said that they were in a booth, but he didn't see the women./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"The first booth was stuffed to the brim with young men, probably attendants of the local university. They each gripped liter-sized steins of golden, frothy ale, which sloshed onto the scarred wooden table as the occupants attempted to harmonize enough to belt out the lyrics of the Amestris national anthem./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"In the second booth a man and woman cuddled in the corner. The woman's face was obscured by the body of the man, who was in the process of sliding a rough hand up the woman's thigh, and under her skirt. A troubled emotion swelled in Roy's chest that he took as a cringeful disdain, and he pushed it down, not allowing himself to be deterred by his mission./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"The third booth was occupied by two citizens, a man and a woman, who sat across from each other. The woman leaned across the table to jab an accusatory finger into the man's chest, voice rising to an irate timbre. The male slapped the table with both hands, hard enough to shake the booth, and leaned forward to meet the woman. Roy didn't want to stick around for the aftermath of that./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"The fourth and final booth contained a single occupant, who sat with his or her back to the front of the bar. He caught a flash of curly brown hair and rushed towards the booth's tenant, only to be met by the angry gaze of a middle-aged man cradling a tumbler of dark liquor in arthritic hands./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"The jukebox fizzled and someone punched the top. The male voice from the appliance continued to croone./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"emspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds, cut out of the sun/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"emspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"When you read my mind..."/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"Roy's instincts nagged at him. Something wasn't right. And he emhad/em to find Riza./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"He turned and surveyed the booths again. The couple in the third booth appeared to have reconciled, as the woman displayed a blissful smile as she laid her hand against the man's chest, and he pulled her close to murmur intimately into her ear./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"He could hear the boisterous activity from the first booth die down as the young men stumbled out, linking arms as they marched out the entrance of the bar./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"Roy peered at the second booth again./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"The man, whose crown was topped with an unruly mass of nearly white blonde hair, still had his hand up the woman's skirt. In the time it took for Roy to pass by, the man had turned his attention to the blonde woman's throat. His slick tongue ran a lazy lick up her slender neck. The woman's head slumped to the opposite side of the man's ministrations, and this time Roy could clearly see her features./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"Fine, flaxen hair pinned back from her face except for a swoop of bangs that almost obscured her eyes. He watched her dusty lashes flutter to a clumsy rhythm. Her pink lips gaped open, and her chest caved inwards. She was about to cry out, but the man hastily covered her mouth with his free hand. His mouth had never left its lecherous path along the column of her throat, and he pursed his lips against her fair skin. Anyone watching, even if they could not hear the mystery man's words, the sound that he made was universally recognizable./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"emspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""Shhhhhhhhhhh…"/span/emspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;" He was saying to her./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"A blend of anger and fear, of which Roy had felt only once before (emher neck cut open, her blood spurting out)/em erupted in Roy's chest. It took him a single motion to lunge into the booth, grab the back collar of the man's jacket, and haul him out onto the floor of the bar./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""What the fu-" the man began to exclaim as he attempted to gather his breath and glare up at Roy, but Roy didn't give him a chance. He knocked the mystery man back with the toe of his boot./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""What are you doing to this woman?!" Roy roared out, barely able to contain the absolute emfury/em that coursed through his veins and filled every portion of his body. He knew that he had an instant to decide- should he trample this man, this emscum/em with a stomp of his boot, or should he go to Riza, whose head tilted forward. He could just barely hear her emit a soft sob./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"Roy chose Riza, rushing so fast through the booth that the clothing he wore glided smoothly against the well-worn, heavily lacquered seat. Her entire body slumped and he was just in time to catch her, and gather her in his arms. The scents of cigar smoke and whiskey clouded her hair and clothes, and on her soft skin he smelled a scent that churned his stomach- something unfamiliar and masculine./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"The mystery man, in that time, had stumbled to his feet, and rubbed the area of his chest where Roy had kicked him. His labored breath was perversely pleasant to Roy's ears./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""What the hell are you doing," the man croaked. All of the chatter in the bar had fallen completely silent and everyone was watching the skirmish now. "That woman is my girlfriend, it's her birthday, and she's had a little too much to drink… I just need to take her home."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"He extended his hand, which Roy knocked away in disdain./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"emspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""Bull. Shit." /span/emspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"Roy spat out. He curled an arm around Riza's shoulder protectively holding her tight, while his other hand sought to adjust her clothing to protect her modesty./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"Confused whispers circled through the remaining patrons of the bar. The mystery man looked around, drawing it in, and turned back to Roy./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""Maybe you just took the situation wrong," he said, turning back to Roy with a dark smile. "Maybe the situation looked askew to you because she's so drunk. But I assure you, if you hand her over to me, I'll take care of her…"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""I am NOT going to do that." Roy stated, his voice just a rumble as he fought to contain his rage. "This woman is NOT your girlfriend. She is NOT going to leave my side. She's a…" he struggled to find the right word. "I'm her boss," he decided on saying./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"More confused whispers around the bar. Patrons who had looked upon Roy in disdain for interrupting an innocent birthday party, now regarded the fair-haired man with skepticism. The blonde stranger sensed this, and his expression soured./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""Are you calling me a liar?" He sneered./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""Yes, I absolutely am," Roy snapped./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""Then it's your word against mine, isn't it?" The mystery man shrugged. "Since the lady can't speak for herself. In fact, I'm sure that everybody has heard about the series of date rapes in Central City. I should be calling the police right now…"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"Roy's gaze quickly surveyed the room. This was a bar known for catering to civilians. Not a single occupant wore a uniform. But what he really had to know was- did anyone recognize him? Every face was watching the drama unfold. Not a single person acknowledged his face with any recognition./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"He had been listening for a couple phrases as well. emRoy Mustang,/em obviously. And also emBrigadier General, /emorem Hero of Ishval, /emorem Flame Alchemist./em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"The level of noise was quiet since the drama began, and Roy had heard none of those words. It was a civilian bar, after all./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"He had to leave Riza for just a moment, and withdrew from her gently. Her face had been in the crook of his neck, and now that he shifted her body to rest against the brick wall behind the booth so that he could slide out and face this man one on one. In a second of clarity and precision, Riza extended her arm and gripped the front of his button-down shirt./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""Roy," she whispered./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"He breathed out and gently untangled her hand and pressed a quick kiss to her palm./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""I'm not leaving you," he whispered. "Never. I'll be right back."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"When she was comfortable enough, he left the booth and stared the man down./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"The stranger was tall, with a long, straight nose over paper-thin lips that he twisted into a sleazy smile. When Roy faced him, he clapped his hands mockingly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""Well wasn't that quite a display," The Stranger drolled./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""What's your name?" Roy asked as he sized him up. While the man's face was thin, he had wide shoulders. He was also a couple inches taller than Roy./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""Well I don't suppose there's any harm in telling you." The man smoothed his fingers through his shiny jet locks in an unnerving pantomime of preening. "I'm Frin Malbook. What can I tell the police emyour/em name is when they arrive?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"Roy stepped closer to the man until they were just a few feet apart. He squared his shoulders. "You don't know me?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"Malbook shook his head. "A letch, obviously, but your name? No."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""Do you have any idea who I am?" Roy pressed, knowing that his actions had to be 100% airtight./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"And he received the ideal answer. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;""No," Frin Malbook sneered, rolling his eyes. "I have no idea who you are."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black;"Perfect./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; background: white;""/spanspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Good," Roy grunted, and swung his fist back before connecting it with the man's face. Bones and cartilage shattered under his knuckles. The man howled and stumbled back, clutching his nose. Blood spurted through the slots between his fingers./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""You-you-" Malbrook gasped, and then gurgled as a trickle of shed blood dripped down into his mouth and throat. After a moment of struggle, his voice returned. "You broke my nose!"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Yes I did," Roy commented, but he had already returned to the booth. He stood at the entry and grasped Riza's arm and shoulder, pulling her close to him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""What the absolute - my GOD," a woman bellowed behind him. Roy could pick her voice out of a crowd. He had to let go of Riza, and turned to witness the fury of Rebecca Catalina. She stood with her hands on her hips, her voluminous curls even more wild than he had ever seen. "I told you not to make a scene. You promised-"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""I didn't promise," Roy reminded her, quickly stepping over. Now he could see two policemen behind her, one had already gone to Frin Malbrook's side and had coaxed the scum of a man into a sitting position with his head between his legs. "And you sobered up quickly."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""I'm a wonder woman," she huffed. "Catalina super power. I out drank every sergeant in the Academy." Despite her attestation, Her words were still a bit slurred/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"The other policeman approached Rebecca. "Ma'am, you said that you were afraid for a friend that could be in distress-"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""That's your perp." She flung her hand to point directly to the man on the floor. "He's the predator."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""And this man…" The officer continued, casting a look in Roy's direction./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""He's a friend," Rebecca exclaimed with a high degree of exasperation. When the officer returned to his partner, she took the steps needed to get in Roy's face./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"She jabbed a finger- a SHARP finger tipped with a long nail- straight into Roy's chest. "Ro-"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Roy quickly clamped a hand over her mouth before she could speak his name. "We could get into a lot of trouble with some very high people," he reminded her in a harsh whisper./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Rebecca rolled her eyes but her fists dropped from her hips. She swatted his hand away and looked into the booth. "We have to get her home before the fuzz figures it out."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"He was already hooking one of Riza's legs over his crooked arm, and pulled her close to his tilted chest to encourage her to lay her arm over his shoulder. "I'll drive," he grunted as he stood once Riza was in his arms./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Rebecca forcefully grabbed his elbow and pulled him towards the door./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Ma'am!" One of the policemen called as he pulled a notebook from his jacket. "We need you to come downtown to make a statement, and your friend-"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""No time, sorry!" Rebecca called over her shoulder, using her sweetest voice. She held the door for Roy and closed it hastily behind them once they were on the street. "Give me your keys."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""They're in my right pocket," Roy told her, already pacing quickly to his cream-colored car, which he had parked as close to the bar as he possibly could. After fishing into his coat pocket, Rebecca unlocked the back door and climbed in./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Give her to me," she ordered, planting her body firmly on the back seat, opposite from the curb. "I'll give you directions to my place."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"When Roy leaned in to gently lay down his captain's body, he paused when her trembling fingers latched onto the lapel of his coat./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Riza," he murmured, "it's okay. Rebecca's here, she's going to sit with you, and I'm going to drive you home."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"She relaxed./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Rebecca gently took hold of Riza's shoulders and arranged her so that she could have her blonde friend's head lay in her lap. Roy must have taken a beat too long gazing at Riza, who exhaled with a pained expression, because Rebecca barked at him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Mustang, we got her. She's safe. Let's go."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"He nodded and closed the door./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Once he had positioned himself in his front seat and started the car, Rebecca started with the instructions. "I'm in the apartment building on Hastings. Just start driving north and I'll tell you where to turn."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"They were both quiet for a few minutes. Every minute or so Roy's gaze found his subordinate's body in his back seat in the rear-view mirror./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Rebecca spoke up, her voice quiet. "She told me about your fight."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Roy inhaled. "Oh?" he asked, keeping his voice neutral. "What did she say?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""That you're a fool," the brunette uttered calmly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"He snorted. "Of course."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""She wouldn't stop talking about you," Rebecca continued. "Left up here."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""About what a big idiot I am," Roy supplied as he followed her directions./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""No, she also said…" the brunette trailed off, and craned her neck down to Riza's mouth. Then she grabbed the back of the driver's seat. "Pull over, she has to throw up."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Roy quickly complied, and once she had opened the door, Rebecca, carefully manipulated Riza's body to lean against her own, and rushed towards a thicket of bushes that lined the yard of a newly-built mansion they had just passed. He winced at the sound of Riza retching. Rebecca rubbed her best friends back and wiped her blonde's mouth with a handkerchief, before bringing them both to the back seat of Roy's car./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""She's really out of it," Rebecca remarked. "I need to get her back to my place, help her take a shower, get her some water, and get her into bed."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""I'm coming with you," Roy stated, in a tone that expressed that she shouldn't challenge./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"The brunette didn't put up a fight, just nodded and stroked her friend's hair as she looked out the window. "Right up here, on Wrappe Road."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Roy's questions were itching on his tongue. What did Riza say about him? Did she talk about their relationship?/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Inwardly, he chided himself for being so selfish as to think that the two women deeply discussed his relationship- or lack of relationship. Even if that was the case- Riza was sick. He had to take care of her. She would do the same for him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Rebecca slapped the back of his seat when they reached a brick building. "This is it. Park in the lot so you don't get towed."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"He followed her directions. Once parked, he went to the back seat, where Rebecca was already lifting Riza up by the shoulders. "I think it would be best if you take her out by her knees."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"He complied, pulling Riza close, then shifting her into his arms. She murmured something that he couldn't hear. Lifting her up to carefully carry her, he waited for Rebecca to lead him. Roy remembered old brick building, it had been a military office building that had been converted to apartments just a couple months ago. He followed her to the front door, which she opened with a dull brass key./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""We have to go up a flight of stairs," she warned him. "I'm on the second floor."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""That's alright," he answered. The blonde muttered a soft cry and he realized that her head had lolled to the side, and was stretching her stitches. Roy tipped his shoulder back so that her head could rest against his chest. She smiled softly and her fingers gripped the lapel of his coat. He couldn't help but smile down at her./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Hey," Rebecca nudged him, "Lover boy. Come on."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"He followed her up the stairs with a degree of trouble. Riza's weight shifted him off balance, and he had to exude a good deal of strength from his core to carry her up the stairs./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"The brunette slid the key into the lock, frowning when she had to wiggle it a bit, and then use her shoulder to pummel the door open./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Old building," she explained to Roy with a degree of annoyance. "Come on, let's go to the bathroom."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"He had to step over quite a bit of mess- shoes, mail, empty cans of beverages. She didn't bother to make excuses for her clutter./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Bathroom is here," she told Roy. "If you sit her up against the tub, I can take it from there."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"He did so and felt a rise of affection in his chest as he gently detangled Riza's fingers from his coat again./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"As soon as he set Riza down, Rebecca began unbuttoning her blouse. She shot him a vexed look over her shoulder. "If you're going to stay, you'll have to wait in my bedroom. I am not letting you see her naked."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""I wasn't planning on it," Roy grumbled, and made his way into Rebecca's bedroom, rearranging laundry and sheets so that he could sit down. He had to be patient with Rebecca- she was a force of nature but she was Riza's best friend and had his subordinate's best interest at heart./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""And can you get her a class of water?" Rebecca called after she kicked the bathroom door /spanspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: black; background: white;"closer./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"He complied obediently, and made his way to the kitchen and filing stained glass with a measure. The humor of this brunette spitfire barking orders to a man several times her superior was not lost on him. At the moment, he didn't care much about military titles and chain of command./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"The shower started in the bathroom, and Roy could hear a series of expletives follow. The water ran for a couple minutes before shutting off./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Mustang- I mean emBrigadier General/em Mustang-" Rebecca called from the bathroom. "Will you bring me a clean t-shirt from my laundry bin? If there's any there…"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Roy dutifully trodded to the corner of Rebecca's bedroom, where there was a VERY full bin of clothes on the left, and a nearly empty bin on the right. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""You don't have any," he called. "Unless you want me to look through your dresser."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""No!" Rebecca exclaimed immediately. "I have… stuff in the dresser."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Roy didn't want to imagine what that em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"stuff/em could be. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"He could hear a grunt of frustration from the bathroom, and Rebecca appeared at the door, and dashed to dig into the desolate bin. She retrieved a scrap of cerulean cloth, which she quickly tucked under her arm, and rushed back into the bathroom./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"After a moment, she appeared at the door. Her full curls were wet in a clump on her right side, the side of the shower, and she brushed back the hair from her forehead with a huff. "I -and Riza- need a favor."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Okay," he responded carefully, regarding her with an obvious degree of suspicion./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Her cheeks colored, and her gaze fixed on the ceiling. "We need your shirt."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Oh… okay." Since it was obviously for Riza, he didn't argue. After removing his dark wool coat, he unbuttoned his shirt, untucked it from his pants, and handed it to the brunette. "Here."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Thanks," she blurted out, probably glad that Roy was wearing an undershirt, and retreated back to the bathroom./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Roy snorted in amusement and shook his head. If Riza ever wanted him to accompany her to meet with Rebecca for lunch, he wouldn't argue. The brunette was odd, but funny./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"IF Riza wanted to. If she would ever talk to him again. If she even LOOKED at him again./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"The bathroom door creaked open. "I need your help again," Rebecca called, a little more quiet this time. "We need to get her to bed. She can sleep in mine."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""You want me to carry her?" He asked, taking care to respect the boundaries that Rebecca had laid./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Yes," came the hushed answer from the brunette. "Yes… emsir/em."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""You don't have to do that Rebecca," he chided her with a degree of amusement. "Not tonight."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"He opened the door carefully, and found the two women on the floor. Riza was splayed across Rebecca's lap, her skull resting against the edge of the tub. Rebecca had buttoned his dress shirt randomly over Riza's chest and stomach, and he could see a peek of blue at the junction of her thighs./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""It's hard to dress a mostly unconscious woman," Rebecca muttered defensively. She tugged Roy's dress shirt down over Riza's torso until it covered her upper thighs. "Now, help, please?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Without comment, Roy entered the bathroom, knelt down, and gathered Riza into his arms. "You said your bed?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Yeah," Rebecca articulated, rising to her feet to point into her bedroom. "On the left side. The side that's not against the wall."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Riza's wet hair clung to all sides of her head. He cupped her crown gently, so as to not strain her neck until he could lay her down on Rebecca's bed. Again, she murmured wordlessly when he laid her down. Rebecca was already pulling a trash can to the edge of the bed./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""I think I got it from here," Rebecca told him. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Are you sure that she's going to be okay? Roy questioned. "If she was drugged, we should get her to a hospital…"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""I examined every glass that she took a drink from when we were back in the bar. No drugs. Besides, I've seen her drunk like this at the Academy. She just needs to sleep it off."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Rebecca took a step back, regarding Roy. Her lips thinned. "Thank you. I really appreciate all that you did tonight."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""I'd do anything for-" he started, and then caught himself. He didn't think that he should voice his feelings for Riza, not when they were so soundly rejected. "It's no problem," he finished./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Rebecca nodded, and bit her lip, looking back towards the bed. "I wanted to tell you… she talked a lot about you. And she said…" her voice faltered. "If I were you…" she shook her head. "Never mind, it's not my place to say."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Roy didn't completely understand, but he nodded solemnly. "Thanks for watching after her."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"The brunette was already crawling into the right side of her queen-sized bed. "No problem. She'll feel like shit in the morning but at least she'll be sober."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"He looked down at Riza, and the goosebumps that prickled her bare legs. He took his heavy wool coat and arranged it to cover her body completely. Before he even had it laid out, she was grasping the collar with a measured amount of labor, and pulling it over her shoulders and neck./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Exhaling a breath, and still staring at Riza, he straightened./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""I'll tell her what you did for her," Rebecca addressed him solemnly, stifling a yawn with one hand and straightening the comforter over her body with the other./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"Roy waved his hand dismissively. "No need. She'll know that I was with her. She'll figure it out."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"The brunette laid her head down on the pillow next to Riza's. "I'll make sure that she understands." She closed her eyes. "There's an extra set of keys on my kitchen counter. Can you please lock up and give the keys back to me on Monday?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Sure," he promised somberly. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you on Monday."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;"When he was walking through the threshold, he heard Rebecca call him. "Good night, Roy Mustang."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; color: black; background: white;""Good night Rebecca," He responded, just as he left her apartment./span/p 


End file.
